New York: A massive crash was avoided in space as per the reports. The collision between the abandoned Russian satellite and a large part of the Chinese rocket was averted. This was revealed by Leo Labs, which tracks abandoned objects in space. If the collision had taken place, it would have created debris that could now be a danger to satellites orbiting the Earth in space.
Radar data from Leo Labs indicate that between 8.56pm, the two objects reached a distance of about eight meters to close to 43 meters. Earlier, Leo Labs had estimated that they could reach as close as 12 meters and have a 10 percent chance of a collision. This is a very high rate considering the collision potential of space objects.
NASA is relocating to the International Space Station, even with a 0.001 percent (one millionth) chance of a collision with space objects. If such a collision occurs, it will not be a major challenge directly to Earth. The crash site will be above the Weddell Sea in Antarctica. But the thousands of space debris that follow such a collision could pose a major threat to the future.
Leo Labs estimates that about 130 million man-made objects orbit the earth uncontrollably. It includes obsolete satellites, rocket components, and objects that were part of other space missions. Astronauts say such objects, which travel ten times faster than a bullet, can damage spacecraft and satellites, no matter how small.
Post Your Comments