Dangerous Space Junk in close proximity to the ISS

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Space junk is causing problems for the International Space Station (ISS). Last week, for the second time NASA postponed a scheduled spacewalk due to the safety threat posed by nearby space debris. 

On November 15th Russia performed an anti-satellite missile test by blowing up one of its own satellites with a kinetic missile. The destroyed satellite was orbiting in close proximity to the ISS. And the explosion left at least 1,700 pieces of trackable debris. And there were also thousands of fragments too small to be tracked.

On November 16th, astronauts aboard the ISS were awakened by NASA. NASA’s mission control informed them that Russia had conducted an ASAT test. There was a discussion of evacuating the ISS station and potentially returning to Earth.  And ultimately it was decided the astronauts were to shelter-in-place.

Space Junk strikes again

For the second time in two weeks, plans on the ISS were interrupted by space junk.

Last week astronauts Kayla Barron and Thomas Marshburn were preparing to exit the station through the airlock. They needed to replace an antenna on the exterior of the station. NASA put an emergency halt to the mission.