Two satellites have collided, an Iridium communications satelite and a Cosmos

@VKXY62 (1605)
Australia
February 12, 2009 2:54am CST
NASA have announced that two satellites have collided in orbit for the first time, destroying the operational Iridium satellite and producing a huge cloud of debris. More than 6,000 fragments, and more than 500 larger than 10cm are being studied to see if they are any intercept course with other spacecraft. The old Russian Cosmos spacecraft and the working Iridium satellite (one of a large constellation of spacecraft) hit each other more than 700 km above Siberia and sent tangled remains of in many directions at high speed, causing concern to other vehicles in orbit. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/12/nasa-alert-as-satellites-collide
5 responses
liusuc
@liusuc (8)
• China
17 Feb 09
If scientist can invent a kind of technology to clear this space rubbish? Maybe at that time people may feel little concerned about that.
1 person likes this
VKXY62
@VKXY62 (1605)
• Australia
18 Feb 09
That would certainly be a hard job, with hunders and thousands of bits now spread out across the whole planet, I would not like to be another spacecraft at that height.
Jamestimer
@Jamestimer (50)
• China
13 Feb 09
I think this is a small but long-term mistake.
VKXY62
@VKXY62 (1605)
• Australia
14 Feb 09
The collision destroyed both the Iridium 33 and Kosmos-2251 spacecraft. There is good info on it at wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision
redyellowblackdog
@redyellowblackdog (10629)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I'll bet that was a sight to see. Did they film it? Computers keep track of where this stuff all is. There should have been advanced warning this was going to happen.
VKXY62
@VKXY62 (1605)
• Australia
14 Feb 09
I don't understand how it happened Red, I thought there was a crew somewhere watching out for things like this happening. What a mess. Maybe they let it happen to see if there predictions are accurate? Bad luck for Iridium satellite owners, ouch.
mipen2006
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
13 Feb 09
Is this only the start of times to come? Actually, I have often wondered how long before this happened. Over a century ago, there must have been the first auto crash somewhere! Now what do auto accidents cost?
VKXY62
@VKXY62 (1605)
• Australia
14 Feb 09
It's hard to imagine what may become of other spacecraft at that altitude with so many high speed bits. Yes this is this first big crash in space, problem is unlike the first car crash, these pieces will keep hurtling for hundreds of years.
1 person likes this
naka75
@naka75 (795)
• Singapore
18 Feb 09
In fact scientists worried that the debris may in turn pose a threat to the International Space Station and Hubble Telescope. A small piece of debris could do great harm to both.