International Space Station conducts maneuver to avoid collision with debris

The International Space Station (ISS) on September 22 conducted a 150-second re-boost to avoid possible conjunction with an unknown piece of space debris. The National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) said that the three controllers, one American, and two Russians, worked in tandem to maneuver the space station using ISS Progress 75. The two minute 30 seconds long re-boost was conducted at 5:19 p.m. EDT. 

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During the avoidance maneuver, the three American 'Expedition 63' crew members were directed to move to the Russian segment of the station to be closer to their Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft in case of an evacuation and as a precautionary measure. The debris was estimated to come within 1.39 kilometers of the station with a time of closest approach of 6:21 p.m. EDT. The avoidance maneuver raised the station's orbit out of the predicted path of the debris. According to Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, the debris belonged to the 2018 Japanese rocket H-2A F40 that broke up into 77 pieces in 2019. 

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"Once the avoidance maneuver was completed, the crew reopened hatches between the U.S. and Russian segments and resumed their regular activities," NASA said. "Maneuver Burn complete. The astronauts are coming out of safe haven," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said after the avoidance maneuver was complete. 

Debris getting worse

Jim further added that the space debris is getting worse and noted that the International Space Station has maneuvered three times in 2020 to avoid debris. Jim also urged the US Congress to provide the US Department of Commerce with the $15 million funds requested by President Donald Trump for the Office of Space Commerce. 

(Image credit: ISS/Twitter)

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