Analyst on China's spent rocket stages: "Things only continue to get worse"

China’s rapid launch growth is leaving more spent rocket upper stages in orbit, raising debris concerns.

After 93 launches in 2023, China became the second-most active launch nation, behind the United States.

Observers say many of these upper stages are not being disposed of under widely accepted debris-mitigation practices.

The buildup could increase collision risk and add to long-term orbital debris, threatening satellites and future missions.