Mark Posen's SatCom Blog

Satellite collision creates copious space junk - space - 12 February 2009 - New Scientist

A further update on the satellite collision.   It seems that that the debris will take a long time to decay and burn up, and there could be a risk of further collisions in a "chain-reaction" effect!

News clipping: Satellite collision creates copious space junk - space - 12 February 2009 - New Scientist.

Two space satellites smashed into each other on Tuesday in an unprecedented orbital accident. Government agencies are still assessing the aftermath, but early radar measurements have detected hundreds of pieces of debris that could pose a risk to other spacecraft. As first reported by CBS News, a defunct Russian Cosmos satellite and a communication satellite owned by the US firm Iridium collided some 790 kilometres above northern Siberia on Tuesday. "This is the first time that two intact spacecraft have accidentally run into each other," says Nicholas Johnson, chief scientist of NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office in Houston, Texas.

Russian and US satellites collide

Interesting, although worrying, to read that an old Russian military satellite has collided with an operational Iridium satellite, completely destroying both satellites.   The accident has generated a large cloud of debris, but since the crash happened in low earth orbit (LEO) the debris will, over time fall to earth and burn up.   There must be some ongoing risk, however, of possible damage to Iridium, and other, satellites as the cloud of debris spreads out.   Fortunately the accident did not happen in the geostationary orbit (GEO), where the risk of a spreading cloud of debris could be potentially much more damaging (since objects in GEO do not fall to earth and burn up, as the orbit is much too high).

I'll be watching the repercussions of this event with interest!

News clipping: BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Russian and US satellites collide.

US and Russian communications satellites have collided in space in the first such reported accident. A satellite owned by the US company Iridium hit a defunct Russian satellite at high speed nearly 780km (485 miles) over Siberia on Tuesday, Nasa said. The risk to the International Space Station and a shuttle launch planned for later this month is said to be low.