Satellites Collide in Space

摘要

An inactive Russian military satellite and functioning Iridium commercial communications satellite collided in low Earth orbit Feb. 10 about 498 miles over Siberia, with both being obliterated and strewing a large amount of debris in space.rnThe incident was the first time that two large intact satellites smashed into one another on orbit. As of late February, the Department of Defense was still formulating where the debris would settle, and if debris pieces posed a danger to other satellites. And NASA scientists were determining whether the debris might pose a danger to the planned space shuttle mission in May to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.