November 15, 2021

ISS crew took shelter inside Soyuz spacecraft under the threat of ISS collision with space debris.

Russian Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov  and American astronaut Mark Vande Hei working aboard the International space station took shelter inside Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft while space debris was passing close to the ISS.

Institute for Space Politics Head Ivan Moiseyev explains why  Soyuz is safe than the ISS in case of space debris passing.

“The fact is that the station is of modular design, in case of space debris collision   there is a high chance of depressurization. Staying inside Soyuz is safer since it enables to undock from the station and head to Earth”, – he explained.

Space debris on the Earth orbit are fragments of old rockets and satellites. Quite frequently space debris and micrometeorites collide   with the ISS but without serious consequences.

“Such collisions happened and were documented. There are traces of collisions with space debris and micrometeorites  on large surfaces of the station such as solar arrays and radiators but they are resistant to them”, – he assured.

The latest debris avoidance maneuver ISS had to perform on November 10 to avoid collision with the fragment of Chinese Fengyun-1C satellite.

More from this category:
July 23, 2014

ISS performed space debris avoidance maneuver, – Roscosmos representative reported. “Unscheduled orbit adjustment maneuver was accomplished to form safe flight course of the station. According…

full story
May 22, 2019

A final assembly of the “Proton-M” space launch vehicle started at the Baikonur cosmodrome. It will launch the Russian communications and television satellite “Yamal-601” in…

full story
June 3, 2014

Progress M-21M cargo vehicle will be undocked from the ISS and sank in the Pacific Ocean on June 9, – MCC representative reported. “The vehicle…

full story
February 18, 2015

On February 17, 2015 at 19.57, Moscow time Progress M-26M cargo vehicle successfully docked with Zvezda service module of Russian ISS segment. Operations on automated…

full story
June 28, 2019

Today, on June 28, 2019, specialists of Roscosmos enterprises, using a transborder gallery, transported the space head part, assembled the day before, to the Assembly…

full story
July 18, 2018

Today, July 17, 2018, “Roskosmos” State Corporation has signed a state contract with RSC “Energia” for the creation of a new-generation middle class space rocket…

full story
July 22, 2013

3 Soyuz boosters were delivered to Baikonur from Samara on July 19. The train was transferred to the launchpad 112 where the boosters will be…

full story
February 18, 2021

In accordance with the International Space Station flight schedule, on February 17, 2021 at 06:26:47 UTC, the Progress MS-16 cargo ship, which was launched from…

full story