US says Russian satellite exploded into more than 100 pieces, astronauts on ISS took shelter

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said the Russian satellite broke up in orbit near the International Space Station (ISS), forcing astronauts on the station to take shelter in their spacecraft for about an hour, according to Reuters.

The Russian satellite that broke into pieces was the RESURS-P1 earth observation satellite, which was decommissioned in 2022. There are currently no details on what caused RESURS-P1 to break up.

Simulation of a satellite exploding in Earth orbit

US radars detected the RESURS-P1 satellite breaking up into a cloud of debris in low Earth orbit at 5 a.m. on June 27 (Vietnam time), according to space tracking company LeoLabs.

The US Space Command (USSPACECOM) said the RESURS-P1 satellite created "more than 100 pieces of trackable debris".

"USSPACECOM recognizes no immediate threat and continues to conduct routine combined assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain," USSPACECOM stressed in a statement on June 27.

There is no information yet on Russia's reaction.

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In February 2023, the 18th Space Defense Squadron of the US Space Force announced that a satellite called Kosmos 2499 had exploded into 85 pieces, according to Business Insider .

Previous collisions that have blown up satellites have created larger and more dangerous debris clouds in orbit. However, the Kosmos 2499 debris orbits the Earth at an altitude of 1,200 km, and NASA expects it to remain in orbit for a century or more.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-noi-ve-tinh-nga-no-thanh-hon-100-manh-phi-hanh-gia-tren-iss-tru-an-185240627200714756.htm