In January 2007, China conducted an anti-satellite test by launching a missile that struck the Fengyun-1C satellite, a weather satellite orbiting at an altitude of 865 km. The impact shattered the satellite into 3,531 cataloged pieces of debris, setting a record for the largest single event creating space debris. According to NASA, the debris will remain in orbit for centuries due to the low atmospheric drag at that altitude, posing a long-term threat to satellites and astronauts. In 2013, a fragment from Fengyun-1C collided with the Russian BLITS satellite, which was designed to measure distances using lasers. The collision ended BLITS' mission, highlighting the ongoing risks posed by the debris. The missile was fired from the Xichang launch center in China, targeting Fengyun-1C, which was no longer in active service. The interception was highly precise, creating a near-head-on collision at extremely high speeds. The impact did not produce a visible explosion from the ground, but it generated a massive cloud of debris, an unprecedented event in space. The precision and scale of the destruction surprised many, as it demonstrated the potential for anti-satellite weapons to cause significant damage in orbit. China did not publicly acknowledge the missile launch until twelve days after the event, leading to global speculation about the source of the debris detected by space surveillance systems. The altitude of the test was particularly concerning because, at 865 km, the debris would not be slowed by atmospheric drag, unlike debris from lower orbits, which usually re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within a few years. NASA estimates that many of these fragments will remain in orbit until the 22nd century. The effects of the test were far-reaching. The debris cloud spread from about 200 km to over 4,000 km in altitude, covering some of the most frequently used orbits in space. This increased the population of tracked debris in low Earth orbit by about 25 percent, turning what was once a relatively safe region into a potential minefield for satellites and spacecraft. Despite the risks, other countries, including the United States, India, and Russia, have since conducted their own anti-satellite tests, though generally at lower altitudes. The Fengyun-1C incident has become a key reference in discussions about space debris management. It underscores how a single action can create risks for all space actors, regardless of their purpose—civilian, military, or commercial. As satellite constellations expand, they must constantly adjust their orbits to avoid collisions with the thousands of fragments still in space. By mid-2026, approximately 2,319 fragments from the Fengyun-1C test were still being tracked, though this number represents only a fraction of the actual debris present. The Fengyun-1C incident highlights the growing challenge of space debris as humanity becomes more dependent on satellites for communication, weather monitoring, and navigation. The satellite, originally intended to serve humanity, now symbolizes the long-lasting pollution in space. While no large-scale technology currently exists to clean up orbital debris, the event serves as a reminder that every action in space leaves a lasting trace. Whether future generations will develop the means to address this issue remains uncertain.