ISS Zvezda module
Posted on 09/03/2009 12:29:18 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
The International Space Station may have to fire its thrusters to avoid a piece of space junk that is on course to pass within two miles of the orbiting complex and its 13 astronauts.
Nasa is tracking debris from a portion of a European rocket, the Ariane 5, that was launched more than three years ago. The debris could pass close enough to require astronauts to fire thrusters to move the station and shuttle Discovery that is docked there out of the way, NASA officials said at a briefing.
The debris posed no immediate danger to the station or the shuttle, the agency said.
The debris, which is in an oval-shaped orbit that makes it difficult to track, will make its closest approach to the station at 11:06am EDT on Friday, NASA said.
The debris will not force NASA to delay the second of three spacewalks planned outside the station on Thursday. NASA might decide to take no action, or could "reboost" the station from its current orbit 220 miles above the Earth after astronauts complete their second space walk, it said.
Discovery arrived at the station on Sunday to deliver more than seven tonnes of food, supplies, equipment and spare parts to the $100 billion, 16-nation orbital outpost.
Space junk is not uncommon - about 19,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres are known to exist, according to NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office.
China's intentional destruction of a weather satellite in 2007 and the accidental collision of American and Russian communications satellites in 2009 have greatly increased the number of large debris in orbit, the office said.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I believe that ISS have several methods to change their orbit. They have the Progress supply vessels,the Space Shuttle or thrusters on the Russian Zvezda service module
You can tell what the winds are aloft, by watching ISS.
Not kidding - it is affected by winds.
So is your brain.
I can see the ISS every clear night. It’s one of the brightest objects in the night sky and large enough that you can just make out it’s elongated shape.
Yes, in fact, my brain is. So is yours.
I forget - are you in TX, that you get such a view?
right now it’s under the moon which is in a low south-western orbit from my location, and will be out of view in another couple hours
North Dakota
LOL - cheers!
Wow. I envy you, Can’t see squat from NVA.
Electrons are snapped up by the passing wind. That is why airplanes have “static wicks.”
You think you are immune?
I am not - I can feel it. It is that dry, dusty, nose-bleed feeling. Wind.
The night sky is always beautiful in the northern hemisphere, this time of year especially. Usually the northern lights are visible too and give a good show once in a while, but no sign of them so far this year. Must be because of the lack of sun spot activity.
If only I was.
I live way out in the country as well, so there is no light pollution to spoil the view.
No northern lights, indicates coming ice age. Or, at least, a Maunder minimum.
So much for global warming.
Looks like another freakin’ cold winter then.
Me, too.
Anyway, the ISS is in the buckyball atmosphere - it is not in a vacuum. There is wind up there - howling wind, going at thousands of miles an hour.
It is just very thin.
Oh, yes - what does Farmer’s Almanac have to say?
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