An American spy satellite that was recently declassified to the public has mysteriously exploded, sparking concern that more satellites that provide phone and internet service may soon suffer the same fate.
The device, called USA 32, broke apart while in low Earth orbit on September 13, creating a large debris cloud just over 480 miles above the planet, the US Space Force said.
The military added that 'further analysis is ongoing' and did not release any other details or rule out the possibility of an anti-satellite weapon.
USA 32 had been in space since 1988 and was also known by its classified code name 'Farrah III' during the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which builds and operates America's spy satellites to collect intelligence from space, had just revealed the full details of its mission last year - which was to listen for Soviet radar and other electronic signals and relay that data to the US military.
Although the satellite's mission had allegedly been over for years, its sudden destruction was not planned and the exact cause of the explosion has not been determined.
That mystery, which some have suspected could have been a collision with space debris or a meteor, has sparked concerns that other satellites which operate in this busy lane of space traffic could be next.A statement by Spaceweather.com, which is run by astronomer Dr Tony Phillips, warned: 'Other satellites may be in danger. USA 32 broke up in a crowded shell of low Earth orbit. The collision threat is real.'
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