By: William Dong

On June 28, 2024, an old Russian satellite came hurtling from space, near the ISS. It broke into over 100 pieces.

The event occurred in the Wednesday afternoon. The warning spread through the ISS, bringing the crew to shelter immediately. One hour later, NASA then said it is safe to come out. After that, they continued to go on their normal business. Not much is known just after the incident, causing it to break up. Thankfully, there was no immediate threat for other satellites and stations in orbit.

By Thursday, at least 180 parts of the satellite has been identified. That satellite also broke 220 miles above Earth. this area is a popular spot for thousands of satellites, big and small, to function. Space stations are also there, including the Tiangong space station which is currently has three astronauts onboard.

These events don’t often happen in space. But the demand for more puts it at a higher risk. Many satellites are important for activities on Earth. These are internet, navigation systems, and much, much more. However, some satellites in space are also dead. There often referred to space junk. There are now around 25,000 pieces of bigger than four inches, about ten inches, of space junk caused by satellite explosions or collisions.

Most dead satellites, like the one that happened on Wednesday, often keep in orbit until they break/burn up in the atmosphere. This may take years. Others that are higher in orbit will fly deeper in space, lowering the chances for it to fly back.