The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on Wednesday that there is a possibility of a ‘possible collision’ between two satellites, one of the US and the other of Russia, about 600 km above the Earth on February 28, which could result in significant debris. .
The two satellites on a collision course are NASA’s Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission spacecraft and the Russian Cosmos 2221 satellite.
“At approximately 1:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the two uncrewed orbiting spacecraft are expected to pass at their closest, at an altitude of about 373 miles (600 km),” NASA said in a statement. “
The space agency said the US Defense Department is monitoring the situation.
“Although the spacecraft are expected to miss each other, a collision could result in significant debris. “NASA and the Department of Defense will continue to monitor the situation.”
Experts said a collision between two spacecraft at an altitude of 600 km could create significant debris, posing additional risks to other satellites and spacecraft in similar orbits.
timed mission spacecraft
NASA’s Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission spacecraft (launched December 7, 2001) plays a critical role in understanding Earth’s upper atmosphere. The TIMED mission studies the effects of the Sun and human activity on Earth’s mesosphere and lower thermosphere/ionosphere.
This region is a gateway between Earth and space, where the Sun’s energy is first deposited into Earth’s environment, making the TIMED mission important for understanding atmospheric dynamics.
Developed in part by Johns Hopkins APL, the mission’s unmatched 20-year dataset has provided important insights about space weather, Earth’s climate, and the evolution of planetary atmospheres.
universe 2221
The Russian satellite Kosmos 2221 was launched in 1992 for surveillance and other military purposes. Kosmos 2221 was a Russian ELINT (electronic and signals intelligence) satellite launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
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Published: 28 February 2024, 05:56 PM IST
