As space debris accumulated on our planet, the International Space Station had to conduct a last-minute avoidance maneuver on Tuesday to avoid an "unknown piece of space debris that is expected to pass within a few kilometers".
Mission Control in Houston made the move at 2:19 p.m. PT on the Russian Progress Resupply spacecraft docked on the ISS to move the station out of the way.
"As a precaution, the crew of Expedition 63 will move to their Soyuz spacecraft until the debris has passed the station," NASA said in a statement before the move.
The maneuver went smoothly, reported NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. "The astronauts come out of the safe haven" he tweeted after the move of the ISS.
Firing maneuvers completed. The astronauts come out of the safe haven.
- Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) 22nd September 2020
The closest approach to space debris took place on Tuesday at 3:21 p.m. "At no point was the crew in danger," said the space agency in a follow-up statement.
NASA air traffic controllers tracked the debris. There are many different types of space junk, from used rocket parts to tiny pieces of paint that have fallen off the spaceship. The ISS is built to withstand the bumps of very small objects but give larger ones a wide arc.
NASA estimates the station will need to perform avoidance maneuvers about once a year on average, but 2020 has been busy. "The space station maneuvered three times in 2020 to avoid debris. In the last two weeks there have been three potential conjunctions of great concern. Debris is getting worse!" Bridenstine tweeted.
The @Space station Maneuvered three times in 2020 to avoid debris. There have been 3 potential conjunctions of high concern in the past 2 weeks. Dirt keeps getting worse! Time to deliver for Congress @CommerceGov with the $ 15 million requested by @POTUS for the Office of Space Commerce.
- Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) 22nd September 2020
The NASA chief asked the government to fund efforts to reduce orbital litter.
"The ISS is the most heavily shielded spaceship that has ever been flown," says a FAQ on debris in orbit. The ISS move is rare, but it could happen more frequently while space debris continues to grow.
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