American Spy Satellite Suddenly Explodes in Orbit
A United States spy satellite has suddenly broken into several pieces in low-Earth orbit (LEO). The event has created a debris cloud that is currently being monitored by the U.S. Space Force.
The Space Force satellite tracking system confirmed that the satellite, officially named USA-32, fragmented on 13 September at 17:13 Eastern Time (ET).
According to Gizmodo, the incident is categorised as a fragmentation event, meaning the satellite suddenly broke into smaller pieces.
As of now, the cause of the USA-32 fragmentation remains unknown. The Space Force continues to monitor the resulting debris and has stated that it has not yet found any direct threat to other spacecraft.
However, the presence of this debris still poses a potential danger to satellites and other objects in orbit in the future.
USA-32 was a Cold War-era intelligence satellite launched on 5 September 1988 using a Titan II SLV rocket. The satellite was part of a secret programme operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to conduct space-based espionage missions for the US military.
USA-32 was part of a series of satellites nicknamed after actress Farrah Fawcett, under the secret programme name FARRAH III. Unlike previous, smaller, box-shaped FARRAH satellites, FARRAH III featured a large, short cylindrical shape resembling a tuna can. The satellite was designed to capture radio frequency emissions, including communications and other electronic signals.
The NRO recently released partial information regarding the FARRAH programme. Declassified documents reveal that the programme’s primary mission was to capture Soviet radar emissions and collect signals in the 2 to 18 GHz range.
It is not known exactly when the satellite ceased operations, but according to The Space Review, the satellite was still tracked in orbit as recently as 2021.
A few days after the satellite’s destruction, the private satellite tracking company s2a systems tracked several fragments scattered in low-Earth orbit.