Space debris
Also written: re-entry
An area where parts of a spacecraft or rocket stage are expected to come down at sea, from a launch or a planned re-entry.
Upper stages and old spacecraft are often steered to re-enter over remote ocean — the South Pacific far from land is the most used — and the area where surviving pieces may land is broadcast as a warning. Launch warnings may also say "space debris" for the parts that fall during ascent.
The areas are large because the exact point of re-entry is uncertain. The warning covers the window during which debris could fall; it does not say that anything did.
What the archive shows
1,678 messages in this archive use “Space debris”, the earliest issued 2001-03-10 and the latest 2026-09-23. 2 of them are in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
The largest yearly count is 2023, with 338 messages. Collection is incomplete between 2024-05 and 2026-08-17, so 2024, 2025 and 2026 are not comparable with fully collected years.
Missiles accounts for 1,677 of 1,678 recorded messages (100%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 26 sea areas; the most frequent are South Pacific Ocean (524), Indian Ocean (460) and North Pacific Ocean (188).
Messages that use it are issued most often in January (170 across all years) and least often in October (102).
By warning series: HYDROPAC 1,079, NAVAREA XII 237, HYDROLANT 166 and NAVAREA IV 133, and 5 more.
Messages using it, by year of issue
By month of issue, all years
Where it appears · 26 sea areas
In force now · 2
- NAVAREA XI 425/26 · Missiles2026-09-23 · in force
NORTH PACIFIC. SPACE DEBRIS. 1427Z TO 1833Z DAILY 28 SEP TO 04 OCT. AREA BOUNDED BY 23-55N 144-37E 26-07N 151-14E…
Space debris → - NAVAREA X 104/26 · Missiles · Indian Ocean2026-09-23 · in force
CHART AUS4714 - COCOS KEELING ISLANDS TO IIE SAINT PAUL 1. SPACE DEBRIS DANGER AREA 90NM EITHER SIDE OF CENTRELINE A. 25-53.36S 072-43.47E B. 20-57.57S…
NAVAREA X 104/26 →
How it reads in recent messages
- NAVAREA XII 657/26 · Missiles2026-09-23
NORTH PACIFIC. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 1427Z TO 1833Z DAILY 28 SEP THRU 04 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY 23-55.00N 144-37.00E, 26-07.00N…
Hazardous operations, space debris 1427Z to 1833Z daily 28 sep thru 04 oct in area bound by 23-55.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2761/26 · Missiles2026-09-23
NORTH PACIFIC. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 1427Z TO 1833Z DAILY 28 SEP THRU 04 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY 23-55.00N 144-37.00E, 26-07.00N…
Hazardous operations, space debris 1427Z to 1833Z daily 28 sep thru 04 oct in area bound by 23-55.00N… → - HYDROPAC 2730/26 · Missiles · South Pacific Ocean2026-09-21
…177-55.80E, 39-04.20S 178-18.00E, 39-22.80S 178-24.00E, 39-26.40S 177-48.00E. B. SPACE DEBRIS IN AREA BOUND BY 37-45.60S 178-18.00W, 36-36.00S 172-48.00W, 38-33.00S 172-00.00W,…
Hazardous operations 1700Z to 0200Z daily 25 sep thru 07 oct: a. rocket launching in area bound by 39-12.00S… → - HYDROPAC 2729/26 · Missiles · South Pacific Ocean2026-09-21
SOUTH PACIFIC. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 1700Z TO 0200Z DAILY 25 SEP THRU 07 OCT IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 37-45.60S 178-18.00W,…
Hazardous operations, space debris 1700Z to 0200Z daily 25 sep thru 07 oct in areas bound by: a. 37-45.60S… → - NAVAREA XI 422/26 · Missiles · Sulu Sea2026-09-20
SOUTH CHINA SEA, NORTHERN PART AND SULU SEA. SPACE DEBRIS. 231100Z TO 231700Z SEP. AREAS BOUNDED BY A. 12-24.6N 116-04.2E 13-17.4N 115-24.6E…
Space debris → - HYDROPAC 2726/26 · Missiles · Sulu Sea2026-09-20
SOUTH CHINA SEA. SULU SEA. PHILIPPINES. 1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 231100Z TO 231700Z SEP IN AREAS BOUND BY: A. 12-24.60N 116-04.20E, 13-17.40N 115-24.60E,…
Hazardous operations, space debris 231100Z to 231700Z sep in areas bound by: a. 12-24.60N 116-04.20E,… →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROPAC 368/01 · Missiles · South Pacific Ocean2001-03-09
1. THE PROJECTED RE-ENTRY AND BREAK UP OF SPACE STATION MIR WILL OCCUR 20 MAR IN AREA BOUND BY 53-00S 175-00W,…
The projected re-entry and break up of space station mir will occur 20 mar in area bound by 53-00S 175-00W,… →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Rocket launching
- The areas where spent rocket stages, boosters and fairings are expected to fall after a launch, with the launch window.
- Hazardous operations
- NGA's heading for activities that make an area dangerous — most often rocket launches, space debris and weapons firings, and some open-ended danger areas.
- Missile firing
- Missile tests or exercises, with the danger area and times during which missiles may be in flight or falling.
Warning types that use it
- Missiles — Missile firings, rocket launches and space debris re-entry areas.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.