ISS had to dodge space junk from satellite Russia blew up - The Register

2 years ago 49

NASA says the International Space Station (ISS) this week transitioned to a higher orbit to dodge debris from a Russian satellite. The bureau spotted the junk and calculated it would alert wrong 3 miles of the ISS, a proximity that was excessively adjacent for comfort.

The abstraction station's crushed squad fired up the thrusters connected Progress 81, the Russian cargo trade docked to the station, for 5 minutes and 5 seconds successful a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) and accrued the station's altitude by 2/10 of a mile astatine apogee and 8/10 of a mile astatine perigee.

NASA said the maneuver had nary interaction connected presumption operations.

The debris was identified by NASA arsenic erstwhile Russian outer Cosmos 1408, a known instigator that's caused occupation before.

Its destiny arsenic abstraction junk was sealed successful November 2021 erstwhile Russia destroyed the 2,200kg quality satellite, launched successful 1982, during a rocket exertion test.

At the time, the US Department of State condemned the experimentation for endangering "human spaceflight activities." Seven astronauts were onboard the ISS astatine the clip of Cosmos 1408's destruction. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson called the rocket trial and consequent unreality of shrapnel "irresponsible" and "destabilizing."

Russian abstraction bureau Roscosmos, a long-time contributor to the ISS, warned successful August that its concern whitethorn extremity sometime betwixt 2025 and 2030 arsenic the state seeks to physique its ain abstraction station. Roscosmos has said it volition person thing acceptable by 2028.

NASA and non-Russian ISS partners person indicated they volition widen ISS operations to 2030. ®

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