. ▁Another ▁B riz - M ▁broke ▁up ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁after ▁a ▁failed ▁ 6 ▁August ▁Pro ton - M ▁launch . ▁The ▁amount ▁and ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁de br is ▁was ▁unknown . ▁A ▁Long ▁March ▁ 7 ▁ro cket ▁boost er ▁created ▁a ▁fire ball ▁visible ▁from ▁port ions ▁of ▁Ut ah , ▁Nev ada , ▁Colorado , ▁Id aho ▁and ▁California ▁on ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁ 2 7 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 ; ▁its ▁dis integration ▁was ▁widely ▁reported ▁on ▁social ▁media . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9 , ▁three ▁different ▁Atlas ▁V ▁Cent aur ▁second ▁stages ▁have ▁broken ▁up . ▁ ▁We ap ons ▁ ▁A ▁past ▁de br is ▁source ▁was ▁the ▁testing ▁of ▁anti - s at ellite ▁weapons ▁( AS AT s ) ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁North ▁American ▁A eros pace ▁Def ense ▁Command ▁( N OR AD ) ▁files ▁only ▁contained ▁data ▁for ▁Soviet ▁tests , ▁and ▁de br is ▁from ▁U . S . ▁tests ▁were ▁only ▁identified ▁later . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁de br is ▁problem ▁was ▁understood , ▁w ides p read ▁AS AT ▁testing ▁had ▁ended ; ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Program ▁ 4 3 7 ▁was ▁shut ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S