Debris from Russian satellite threatened ISS
An old Russian earth observation satellite disintegrates. The debris threatened the ISS. The astronauts had to enter the docked spacecraft.
(Image: NASA)
The Russian earth observation satellite RESURS-P1, which was launched in 2013 and has been disintegrating since June 26, has caused the U.S. Space Command of the U.S. Department of Defense to instruct the nine astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) to take cover for an hour. The more than 100 pieces of debris from the satellite came dangerously close to the ISS.
On Wednesday, the satellite observation company LeoLabs discovered a debris event in low Earth orbit. Initially there were over 100 pieces of debris, but later on Thursday the company identified at least 180 objects. The number could rise further. They are said to come from the approximately 6.5-ton Russian satellite RESURS-P1, which was in operation for longer than expected and was decommissioned in 2021. Since then, it has been wandering around in orbit and continuously losing altitude. At the time of the incident, it is said to have been at an altitude of around 355 kilometers. The satellite is expected to enter the Earth's atmosphere by the end of 2024.
ISS under threat
On Wednesday, the first debris appeared near the ISS. On Thursday, Space Command asked the nine astronauts on board to enter the docked spacecraft as a precaution. This was purely a precautionary measure. After an hour, the all-clear was given. The astronauts were able to return on board the ISS.
It is unclear what caused the satellite to break apart. Presumably, the reason is that RESURS-P1 had not been sufficiently passivated after its decommissioning. This includes emptying the batteries and venting the tanks. These were already assumed reasons for satellites breaking up in the past.
(olb)