Space station astronauts forced to shelter as Russian satellite breaks into more than 100 pieces

Sky News
·2-min read

Astronauts on the International Space Station were forced to take shelter last night after a Russian satellite broke into more than 100 pieces.

The nine astronauts living on the space station were told to shelter in their respective spacecraft, according to NASA, after the debris was spotted.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams boarded their Starliner spacecraft, the Boeing-built capsule that has been docked since June 6 in its first crewed test mission on the station.

Read more: Why two NASA astronauts are stuck in space

Three of the other US astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut went into SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule that flew them to the station in March.

The sixth US astronaut joined the two remaining cosmonauts in their Russian Soyuz capsule that ferried them there in September last year.

The astronauts emerged from their spacecraft roughly an hour later and resumed their normal work on the station, NASA said.

Russian missile theory

There were no immediate details on what caused the break-up of the Russian Earth observation satellite, which was declared dead in 2022.

Read more from Sky News:
Famous streamer admits to 'inappropriate' messages to minor
SpaceX given permission to destroy the International Space Station
Microbes cling to ISS - here's why astronauts are trying to collect them

Experts thought it was unlikely Russia shot it down with a ground-based anti-satellite missile.

"I find it hard to believe they would use such a big satellite as an ASAT target," said Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell. "But, with the Russians these days, who knows?"

Russia sparked strong criticism in 2021 when it struck one of its defunct satellites in orbit with a missile launched from its Plesetsk rocket site.

The blast, testing a weapon system ahead of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, created thousands of pieces of orbital debris.

Mr McDowell and other analysts speculated the break-up could have been caused by a problem with the satellite, such as leftover fuel on board causing an explosion.

US Space Command, tracking the debris swarm, said there was no immediate threat to other satellites.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories

  • ISS Crew Forced to Take Shelter After Russian Satellite Breaks Apart

    'The Independent' reports that astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) took shelter due to the danger of debris from a broken up Russian satellite.

  • Still no return date set for Boeing’s Starliner crew from space station

    NASA signaled Friday that a return date for Boeing’s Starliner crew from the International Space Station had still not been set, as the two astronauts continue testing and working on issues within the capsule. “We’re not in any rush to come home,” NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said, The Associated Press reported. NASA…

  • Meteorites strike Mars far more often than thought, probe finds

    Mars is bombarded with basketball-sized meteorites on a nearly daily basis, fives times more often than previously estimated, seismic recordings from a NASA spacecraft have revealed.- Mars missions, take note - Frequent, intense dust storms make it particularly difficult for spacecrafts orbiting Mars to see small meteorite craters down below.

  • Large asteroid to pass between Earth and the moon on Saturday

    Earth is surrounded by rocky bodies and bits of debris from when the solar system formed roughly 4.5 billion years ago. On Saturday, one of those leftover rocks will whiz past Earth.The asteroid is called 2024 MK and, at its closest, it will pass roughly 290,000 km from Earth. While we have plenty of small asteroids that are scattered within Earth's orbit, this one is sizeable, ranging anywhere from 120 metres to 260 metres in diameter. But there's another interesting — and somewhat disquieting

  • What Really Happens When You Eat Foods High in Lectins

    Social media has been warning users to stay away from these “anti-nutrients," but what foods are actually high in lectins? And are they really bad for you?

  • Space debris from Russian satellite explosion could pose danger for months, astronomers warn

    Astronauts on ISS forced to shelter from 180 large pieces currently in low-Earth orbit

  • Obama alums sound the alarm after Biden stumble

    A number of former aides to President Obama were sounding the alarm following President Biden’s disappointing debate against former President Trump. Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe called it a “DEFCON 1 moment” during an appearance Thursday night on MSNBC. “And I think that’s a tragedy, because I think Trump had so many openings that…

  • NASA insists Boeing Starliner crew 'not stranded' on ISS

    The first astronauts to fly Boeing's troubled Starliner are definitely not "stranded" at the International Space Station, NASA insisted Friday despite having no clear timeframe for bringing them home.He added the pair were "enjoying their time on the space station" and "our plan is to continue to return them on Starliner and return them home at the right time."

  • NASA and Boeing say Starliner astronauts ‘are not stranded,’ but will be on the ISS for a few more weeks

    NASA and Boeing plan to spend the next few weeks conducting tests on the ground in order to better understand issues with the Starliner spacecraft’s thrusters before giving its crew the go-ahead to fly back to Earth, officials said in a press conference Friday.

  • Trump's immunity ruling due Monday as US Supreme Court announces end of term

    The Supreme Court's ruling in Republican former President Donald Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution for trying to undo his 2020 election loss is expected on Monday, the final day of its current term. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday announced July 1 as the final day of the nine-member court's current term, which began in October. "At that time, we will announce all remaining opinions ready during this term of the court," Roberts said from the bench on Friday.

  • Ancient bronze bells, Han dynasty frog among 14 cultural relics returned to China

    Argentina has returned 14 cultural relics to China as part of joint efforts to fight the illegal trafficking of cultural heritage. The artefacts, dating from between 770BC and AD589, were handed over to Chinese ambassador Wang Wei in a formal ceremony at the embassy in Buenos Aires on Thursday. China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) said items had been "illegally exported". Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCM

  • NASA astronauts will stay at the space station longer for more troubleshooting of Boeing capsule

    Two NASA astronauts will stay longer at the International Space Station as engineers troubleshoot problems on Boeing’s new space capsule that cropped up on the trip there. NASA on Friday did not set a return date until testing on the ground was complete and said the astronauts were safe. “We’re not in any rush to come home,” said NASA’s commercial crew program manager Steve Stich.

  • NASA astronauts talk space life challenges, data collection

    Yahoo Finance's "Space Race: Investing in the Final Frontier" series continues with an interview with NASA Astronauts Jeanette Epps and Tracy Dyson. The two space explorers join Wealth! to share their experiences in space. Dyson describes their mission as ongoing, stressing that the primary objective is to learn how to live, work, and explore in space while gathering crucial data for future expeditions. She explains that these are long-duration missions, typically lasting six months or more for each astronaut. Addressing the challenges of zero gravity, Epps notes, "It's hard to get used to." Astronauts must adapt to floating bodies and using minimal force to navigate, allowing "life without gravity to take place." As space tourism gains traction, Dyson cautions potential civilian space travelers: "The space environment and microgravity are very challenging."  While both astronauts acknowledge the fun aspects of space travel, they emphasize that scientific research remains the core focus of their explorations. Their primary goal is to collect valuable data that can enhance life on Earth. Catch up on Yahoo Finance special coverage as part of this week's Space Race: Investing in the Final Frontier series. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Angel Smith

  • 14 Wild Animals That Start With 'U' (Aside From the Utahraptor)

    Animal names are a simple way to categorize the diverse species of the animal kingdom. Animals that start with "U" can be some of the most fascinating in our planet's elaborate biological patchwork.

  • UFOs: From psychology to air traffic, are we closer than ever to an answer?

    Why modern technology puts us in a stronger position than ever to work out what's going on in the skies above us.

  • Israel has never been impressed with its version of the $1 billion Patriot air defense system. Now it could offload up to 8 to Ukraine.

    Ukraine has long coveted more of the $1 billion US-manufactured Patriot air defense systems.

  • ‘Panic mode’ Democrats begin calling for Biden to step aside after ‘horrible’ debate performance against Trump

    ‘Need to have Harris take over. Cleanest option,’ one Democrat strategist told The Independent

  • The Advice Matt Damon Reportedly Gave Ben Affleck as Things "Started Falling Apart" With J.Lo

    Here's the advice Matt Damon reportedly gave Ben Affleck when things started "falling apart" with J.Lo.

  • Amal Clooney, 46, is glowing in flirty floral dress as she walks hand in hand with George Clooney

    George Clooney and his wife, Amal, were spotted in St Tropez this past week, and Amal made the most of the glorious sunshine with a flirty floral mini dress. See the pictures here...

  • Chinese woman who tried to shield Japanese mother and her child from bus stop knife attack dies

    Japanese embassy in China lowers its flag to half mast to honour victim Hu Youping’s death