The International Space Station performed an evasive maneuver due to the threat of a collision with an Earth-observing satellite.
A huge amount of space debris, as well as an increasing number of working satellites, is becoming a real problem for the orbital station. It became known that a few days ago the ISS almost got into a “space accident”, but everything worked out, writes Space.
At Focus. Technologies has its own Telegram channel. Subscribe to not miss the latest and exciting news from the world of science!
According to NASA, the Argentine commercial satellite Nusat-17, which is engaged in observations of our planet, could have collided with the ISS. It is one of 10 Nusat satellites launched in 2020 by Satellogic.
According to Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, USA, this group of satellites is one of several of its kind, the orbits of which are gradually approaching the orbit of the ISS.
The very unpleasant situation for the station itself occurred on the afternoon of March 6, when the engines of the Progress-83 cargo spacecraft (it is currently docked with the ISS) were launched at the station in order to carry out an evasive maneuver and avoid a collision with the satellite. The engines worked for about 6 minutes and thus the orbital station was able to rise a little higher so as not to intersect with the flight path of the spacecraft.
This time, a collision was avoided, but such evasive maneuvers are no longer unusual for a space station. Since 1999, the ISS has made 32 such adjustments to its flight path to avoid hitting satellites or space debris, according to NASA.
This time, a collision was avoided, but such evasive maneuvers are no longer unusual for a space station. Since 1999, the ISS has made 32 such adjustments to its flight path to avoid hitting satellites or debris, according to NASA.
[+–]
Photo: wikipedia
Last year, the real threat to the station came from the wreckage of the Russian satellite Kosmos 1408, which was destroyed as a result of a test of the Russian anti-satellite system. Then the ISS also had to maneuver to change its orbit.
As Focus already wrote, NASA accused Russia of creating a threat to the ISS and astronauts due to the testing of this weapon in November 2021. From the wreckage of the satellite “Cosmos 1408” the ISS had to evade first in June last year, and then in October, as Focus already wrote.
In fact, the approach of the Nusat-17 satellite to the space station did not come as a surprise to NASA. The Americans received information that some kind of space object might collide with the station on March 5. Specialists from NASA and Roskosmos carried out the necessary calculations for the correct evasive maneuver and, together with the station crew, prepared for a course change. Approximately 20 minutes before the expected rendezvous of the satellite with the ISS, the engines of the cargo ship were launched.
This unfortunate situation in space occurred a few days after the new crew of the Crew-6 mission arrived on the ISS on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The previous crew from the Crew-5 mission will go home on the same ship on the evening of March 9 and arrive on Earth on Friday, March 10. Of course, if everything goes according to plan.
Focus also wrote that last November a Chinese rocket exploded in low Earth orbit and disintegrated into 50 fragments that could also threaten the ISS.
Focus also wrote that in December 2022, part of the old Russian Fregat upper stage nearly damaged the International Space Station.
