HomeBreakup eventsSL-16 (Zenit-2) stage (1992)

EXPLOSION · 1992-12-25

SL-16 (Zenit-2) stage (1992)

The Zenit-2 (SL-16) second stage from a Dec 1992 launch exploded in low Earth orbit, scattering fragments near ~800 km. The large Zenit second stage is among the more prolific Soviet/Russian rocket bodies to have fragmented on orbit.

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Opens Space Junk View, hides everything else, and frames the surviving tracked fragments of SL-16 (Zenit-2) stage (1992) as they orbit.

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Breakup events like this are why low Earth orbit is now crowded with debris. Space Junk View tracks all 31,328 cataloged objects — including roughly 10,229 pieces of debris — and lets you isolate a single event's fragment cloud to see exactly where its wreckage went. See the full breakup-events hub and our space-debris statistics.

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