Feb 12, 2009
Satellites in Collision
It finally happened.
Two fairly large satellites collided in orbit, destroying both and littering space with possibly thousands of pieces of potentially deadly debris.
A Russian satellite—presumed to be already no longer used—met up with an actively used communications satellite. The communications satellite was owned by Iridium Satellite, a company that runs a worldwide communications network using a “constellation” of 66—now 65—satellites.
While the immediate threat is minimal, it poses a potential danger for astronauts, including those aboard the International Space Station.
