A tool bag, unintentionally lost during a spacewalk by NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara at the International Space Station (ISS), is now orbiting Earth and visible to the naked eye, according to NASA’s blog post. The incident occurred while the astronauts were replacing ISS station parts. Flight controllers identified the tool bag using external station cameras and determined a low risk of recontact with the station, ensuring the crew’s safety with no required action.
NASA assured that the tool bag, labeled 1998-067WC/58229, poses no threat to the space station as it orbits in low-Earth orbit. The European Space Agency astronaut Meganne Christian shared a video capturing the moment the tool bag floated away during the Nov 1 spacewalk. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Satoshi Furukawa last observed the bag, and tracking data from N2YO, which monitors satellites and space stations in real time, placed it just above Japan and over the Pacific Ocean as of Wednesday morning.
Skywatchers and social media users are attempting to spot the tool bag during clear nights, using binoculars and anticipating its visibility for a few months before orbital decay causes it to fall towards Earth. Once it descends, the bag is expected to harmlessly burn up in the atmosphere, a fate shared by other small objects in low-Earth orbit, like discarded rocket components and small satellites.
The incident highlights the broader concern of space junk, encompassing human-made debris and machinery left in space, including defunct satellites. The accumulation of space debris poses risks to functioning satellites and spacecraft, prompting discussions on sustainable practices in space exploration to mitigate potential hazards.
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