ISS performed space debris avoidance maneuver, – Roscosmos representative reported.
“Unscheduled orbit adjustment maneuver was accomplished to form safe flight course of the station. According to the data provided by MSS ballistic and navigational support service today at 14.57, Moscow time, Zvezda service module thrusters were ignited and have been operating for 30 seconds. As a result ISS average altitude reduced by 800 meters and amounted to 422 km”, – the spokesman stated.
According to MCC ballistic and navigational support service after this maneuver ISS orbit parameters are as follows: minimal altitude – 415,3 km, maximum altitude – 430 km, orbit time – 92,82 min., orbit inclination – 51,6⁰.
Earlier Mission Control Centre specialists detected Briz-M upper stage fragment infringing ISS safety zone. The orbit was adjusted with the help of Russian segment thrusters to increase the distance between the fragment and the station.
This space debris fragment is one of the pieces of Briz-M upper stage used on August 6, 2012 to launch Russian Express-MD2 and Indonesian Telkom-3 satellites from Baikonur spaceport. The upper stage failed to orbit space devices and in October 2012 broke into more than 80 pieces.
