Chinese megaconstellation launch creates field of space debris

A Chinese launch to deploy a first batch of communications satellites has created more than 50 pieces of debris which could threaten spacecraft in low Earth orbit, as reported on SpaceNews.

The satellites are the first of a planned megaconstellation of more than 14,000 low Earth orbit communications satellites. However, the mission appears to have created a string of debris along its orbital path, according to observations from Slingshot Aerospace, a space-tracking and data analytics firm.