NASA | Shelter in Place
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had to seek refuge in their spacecraft following reports of space debris from a broken satellite heading their way.
The debris originated from Resurs-P 1, a defunct Russian Earth observation satellite launched in June 2013. The space junk monitor LeoLabs detected the fragments, tweeting, “Early indications are that a non-operational Russian spacecraft, Resurs P1 (SATNO 39186), released a number of fragments between 13:05 UTC 26 June and 00:51 UTC 27 June.”
Thankfully, no one was injured. Mission Control monitored the debris, and about an hour later, the crew was allowed to exit their spacecraft, resuming normal operations, as stated in an update from the ISS’s official X account.
Escaping the Kessler Syndrome
Currently, three spacecraft are docked at the ISS: a Russian Soyuz capsule, a SpaceX Crew Dragon, and Boeing’s Starliner, which remains indefinitely stranded.
This isn’t the first time ISS crews have had to take cover due to space debris, and it likely won’t be the last. Experts warn that space junk collisions can create more fragments, exacerbating the threat. In November 2021, crews sheltered from debris likely resulting from a Russian anti-satellite missile test. Less than a year later, the ISS had to maneuver to avoid more debris.
The cause of the recent satellite breakup, just 30 miles from the ISS’s altitude, remains unclear. With the debris field around Earth growing, the ISS will likely face similar threats until its planned retirement in 2030.