Two satellites collide in orbit

Spaceflight Now ^ | February 11, 2009 | WILLIAM HARWOOD

[Names Ash Housewares]

In an unprecedented space collision, a commercial Iridium communications satellite and a presumably defunct Russian Cosmos satellite ran into each other Tuesday above northern Siberia, creating a cloud of wreckage, officials said today.

The international space station does not appear to be threatened by the debris, they said, but it's not yet clear whether it poses a risk to any other military or civilian satellites.

"They collided at an altitude of 790 kilometers (491 miles) over northern Siberia Tuesday about noon Washington time," said Nicholas Johnson, NASA's chief scientist for orbital debris at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "The U.S. space surveillance network detected a large number of debris from both objects."

One source said nearly 300 fragments were being tracked, but Johnson said it was not yet clear how much debris was generated.

"It's going to take a while," he said. "It's very, very difficult to discriminate all those objects when they're really close together. And so, over the next couple of days, we'll have a much better understanding. But it's at a minimum, I think we're talking many, many dozens, if not hundreds."

[byteback]

So now we have female satellites?

[txhurl]

bttt

[montanajoe]

This doesn’t make sense. They can track 300 pieces of debris after wards but they can't track a potential collision before hand? Sounds like the Ruski’s had a successful killer satellite test to me..

[RobRoy]

>>Because if each of those dots really were satellites to a 1:1 scale, then each satellite, considering that they are in orbit, would have to be larger than a couple of cities.<<

Exactly what I was thinking. People have no idea just how much empty space there is between those dots. If one were to spread them out on the planet I suspect there would be quite a few dozen miles between each piece of junk.

[NormsRevenge]

It’s not an everyday event, that’s for sure. not yet, anyway with all the stuff floating around out there.

[plsvn]

I don't know how much the Iridium can change its orbit, but unless there is evidence otherwise it looks like the Iridium will be cited.

Each Iridium orbital plane has a "spare" satellite in it that is in a slightly different orbit (in orbital height) so it it constantly "lapping" all the other members in the plane. This is how they replace a bad satellite with the spare. They move the bad one out of its location and wait for the spare to eventually get close to where other maneuvers can place it in its new operational location within the plane. So the answer is they can be moved. I'm surprised the Iridium managers didn't have a better handle on the potential for collision.

[r9etb]

but it's not yet clear whether it poses a risk to any other military or civilian satellites

It'd suck to be Iridium today -- at a minimum, the debris poses a direct risk to the rest of their constellation.

[Doctor Raoul]

Guess the answer is how long was it defunct? Also, any posibility that an Iridium sat was a spy bird?

[Doctor Raoul]

It’s projecting collisions for all the combinations of objects that’s the problem.

[AvOrdVet]

BUT a lot of that “Space Junk” and Debris is moving at around 14,000-28,000 mph, If a paint chip hits anything at that speed, its adios amigos!

[bmwcyle]

In space no one can hear your wife dent the car.

[rfp1234]

"In space, no one can hear your scream."

Unless you're Howard Dean.

[TalonDJ]

Or have I read too many Tom Clancy novels?

you have read too many. The Russians have plenty of missiles that could wax a low orbit satellite

[AvOrdVet]

But is kind of odd that they would “happen” to collide over Russia... and in the most desolate section of Russia...

[Dumpster Baby]

"KRAPSKI !!"

[rfp1234]

So now we have female satellites?

On the bright side, there are no curbs in space, so the satellites don't have to worry about parallel parking.

[sam_paine]

People have no idea just how much empty space there is between those dots. If one were to spread them out on the planet I suspect there would be quite a few dozen miles between each piece of junk.

True. But that's like saying there's only 3 kids in rice-burners 'drifting' around at 50mph in the Walmart parking lot and you're laying out in the middle suntanning.

May be hundreds of yards between all those cars, and you, but how relaxed do you feel laying there?

And why did this get moved to chat?

[montanajoe]

Interesting point. I would think that the ability to make those projections would be key to any satellite offensive or defensive system

[wolfcreek]

Guess I won’t using my satellite phone for a while.

[blueplum]

*No atmosphere, no sound, regardless of whether or not any ears or mikes are in the vicinity.*

I used to believe that, until I heard the planets sing:

Cassini/Saturn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFFGdTI9KeA

Earth sounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoOg4US5f1s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmubnNrDjwc

Voyager, Uranus sounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3fqE01YYWs

Neptune sounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5jpl5E2dHM

space sounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0lq6ttvh9M

Parks Telescope/neutron star XTE J1810-197 ‘heartbeats’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvRYRn6yrMk