Russian Space Junk Avoids Collision with ISS

The International Space Station saw some Russian space debris in its side view mirror on Monday night, but it was closer than it appeared, so it fired its thrusters to prevent a collision. Given how long it takes to leave a space station and exchange insurance information, the collision might have been dangerous as well as inconvenient. The Progress 81 thrusters on the International Space Station fired for 5 minutes and 5 seconds this evening as part of a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver to give the complex an extra measure of distance away from the predicted track of a piece of Russian Cosmos 1408 debris, according to NASA, which issued the statement in its customarily totally easy-to-read manner. It was somewhat near, but only in regards to space norms (not like when you narrowly dodge a grocery cart in a parking lot). The station scurried into a higher orbit since the debris fragment would have passed within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of the station. Russian cosmonauts did not generate the space garbage, nor did a Moscow resident accidentally use too much lighter fluid on his barbecue. Instead, it's a result of Russia's heavily criticized 2021 missile test in which it blew up a retired Cosmos 1408 spacecraft. At the moment of the explosion, there were around 1,500 pieces of debris left behind. U.S. officials denounced the anti-satellite missile test and called it "reckless and deadly conduct." But it is said in relation to a lot of things. Even if it won't soon hit your car on the road, space debris is starting to become a concern. There are several tiny chunks, such as parts of blown-up satellites, as well as large chunks, such as inoperative spacecraft. Sometimes they even collide with one another, like in the broom scene from Fantasia, producing even more space debris. In any case, the International Space Station was able to dodge this piece, and it will likely have to dodge others in the near future unless something is cleaned up a bit.