RSC Energia explained why and in what cases the ISS evades space debris. This happened after the Russian space truck Progress MS-28 saved the international crew of the station from colliding with space exploration waste for the second time in a week.
According to scientists, this happens if the probability of a collision is greater than 0.001%. The altitude of the orbit is increased by approximately 500–1000 meters.
Objects come into the view of ballistics experts almost immediately after detection. However, the "alarm" only sounds if debris crosses the ISS "danger zone" (±25 km along and ±2 km in height). Think this is overkill? You're wrong. For example, this week, a fragment of an old satellite launched 25 years ago was supposed to fly within ±13 km of the station at a speed of 12 km per second. The probability of a collision is only about 0.007%, but you can imagine the consequences of any module being "shot" by such an object.
This year, the Russian space truck has already diverted the ISS from threats twice, but this is not the limit: the record for changing orbit due to space debris is five times a year.
However, RSC Energia notes that there are cases when it is impossible to avoid threats. Then all the cosmonauts who are on the ISS at that moment go to the "duty" ships and prepare for an emergency descent just in case.
Earlier it became known that Russia could create its own space traffic management system. It will help regulate satellites in near-Earth orbit and track about 128 million pieces of space debris around the Earth.
Also, in the near future, the Roscosmos State Corporation plans to receive information about all spacecraft launched by Russian companies in Russia and abroad. After the satellite is decommissioned, its owner will be required to provide information about the termination of the intended use of the spacecraft and its removal from the orbital constellation. In the future, the satellite owner may become responsible for its disposal.
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