A collision between a Russian spy satellite and a NASA spacecraft was narrowly averted

Satellites flying in opposite orbits are at risk of head-on collisions, with relative speeds of about 15 kilometers per second.

Collisions between uncontrolled devices are rare, but are likely to become increasingly frequent as Earth’s orbit becomes more and more crowded.

It has become a nightmare for space agencies. On February 28, just above our heads, two satellites almost collided. The two spacecraft, orbiting at an altitude of about 600 kilometers, crossed paths just a few dozen meters apart, narrowly avoiding a pileup that could have created thousands of pieces of debris. The Russian spy satellite Kosmos 2221, now decommissioned, and the American scientific satellite Timed, also decommissioned, were both flying in opposite orbits and risked a head-on collision, with relative speeds of about 15 km/h. .

“The US Department of Defense is monitoring the potential conflict“, indicated a press release from NASA before the meeting. But at the appointed time, this Thursday at 7:34 a.m. (Paris time), no flash of light was detected in the eye of the telescope. Another press release from NASA immediately confirmed that Both the vehicles passed each other safely.The two uncontrolled satellites will approach each other again, but this is their closest pass in current orbit-determining predictions, as they gradually separate in altitude.“, the agency clarified.

The two machines crossed paths less than 20 meters apart

NASA didn’t specify how close the encounter was, but satellite monitoring company LeoLabs told our colleagues at Space.com that the two satellites “Missed each other by less than 20 meters

“. Suffice it to say that they came close. Such collisions between satellites, which no one controls anymore, are rare. But they risk becoming more and more frequent, as Earth’s orbit becomes more and more crowded. EUROPEAN SPACE According to the Space Agency (ESA), there are currently about 11,500 satellites orbiting the Earth, but only 9,000 of them are still operational.

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In addition, about 36,500 pieces of debris at least 10 cm wide and 130 million in diameter orbit our planet. Even at this size, this debris can cause significant damage given the speed at which objects orbit the Earth. In January 2020, Esa announced that it had diverted the satellite from its path to avoid a possible collision with SpaceX spacecraft. A spokesman for the American company indicated that a “bug” affecting the communications system had prevented it from properly reporting the threat.