The Soviet meteorological satellite Meteor-2-7, launched on May 14, 1981, has generated a new cloud of space debris. The LeoLabs Delta system detected the event on October 5, 2026, after the satellite passed over a radar station in Western Australia. Additional network radars confirmed the fragmentation, identifying dozens of new objects near the craft.
Meteor-2-7 was part of the second generation of Soviet weather satellites and operated from August 1981 to November 1982. Following its mission, the satellite remained in orbit at an altitude of 800–900 km. This is not the first time the unit has broken apart; a previous fragmentation event occurred in March 2004, also resulting in the creation of additional space debris.
LeoLabs reports that the exact number of new fragments remains an estimate, though they pose a potential threat to other spacecraft in the vicinity. The company has not provided a specific cause for the recent structural failure. The incident highlights the ongoing necessity for continuous radar monitoring of orbital paths to track aging space objects.
