Last week, the International Space Station once again had to maneuver to avoid space debris that could potentially damage its hull. On November 15, 2021, Russia destroyed its military satellite Cosmos 1408, CBS reported. Pieces of the remotely detonated satellite (called space junk) dispersed into space and began orbiting Earth. The International Space Station performed a “restart maneuver” in case it hits one or more of these pieces.
Cosmos 1408 was a satellite weighing 2,200 kilograms. So right now it has caused a lot of space junk. These parts will slow down and burn out, but experts say this process could take more than a decade.
The United States has recently announced that it will not use anti-satellite missiles to destroy its satellites, as such shooting down and destruction of satellites in space creates a huge amount of space junk. This garbage poses a danger to the International Space Station and other satellites in space. Russia, on the other hand, has not taken any decision in this regard.
It was announced that the maneuver of the International Space Station was successful and a collision was avoided. Meanwhile, the world’s first space tourists on the International Space Station returned to Earth from the station, where they stayed for a total of eight days after the maneuver.