Russian Discarded Satellite Breaks Up in Low Earth Orbit, ISS Crew Evacuates to Spacecraft

On June 26th, a decommissioned Russian satellite broke apart in low Earth orbit, forcing astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter in docked spacecraft. The ISS reported that the 71st long-duration crew, consisting of 7 astronauts, temporarily sought refuge in three spacecraft, including Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. It's likely the astronauts were asleep when the incident occurred. A NASA official explained that this response was a "precautionary measure," and the astronauts stayed in the spacecraft for an hour before returning to the ISS and resuming normal operations.

Image Source: GPT4o

According to 'LeoLabs,' a company that monitors satellites, the defunct Russian satellite 'Resurs-P1' (also known as 'SATNO 39186') appears to have released numerous fragments. The U.S. Space Command also confirmed the destruction of Resurs-P1, estimating the creation of over 100 trackable pieces of space debris. The Space Command stated that "no imminent threat was observed" and that they are "continuing to conduct regular proximity assessments."

In addition to the 71st long-duration crew, two astronauts are currently residing on the ISS for Boeing's Starliner's crewed flight test (Crew Flight Test: CFT). The Starliner docked with the ISS on June 6th. While initially scheduled for a one-week stay, its return to Earth has been delayed until after July 2nd due to a helium leak and thruster performance issues detected on the Starliner.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing issue of space debris. The proliferation of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, like those operated by SpaceX's Starlink, raises concerns about the increasing amount of space debris. The need for international collaboration to address the space debris problem is expected to become even more critical in the future.