Russia just created a lot of space debris.
Space Debris
Over the last few years, many countries have tested anti-satellite weapons. These countries include the US, China, and India. Anti-satellite weapons can destroy satellites currently in orbit. This capability can allow a country to stop an opposing country's communications or navigation system by destroying its satellites. This is a powerful war fighting weapon that might be used in future wars. But the thing more scary than countries destroying each other's satellites is what the satellites become: space debris.
Space debris is becoming a bigger problem every year. Small pieces of metal, paint chips, and remnants of spacecraft can crash into other spacecraft, and at orbital velocity, it can be extremely damaging. Pieces only a few centimeters across can punch large holes in a space station, and can endanger the crew! Unfortunately, a huge cloud of debris was just created, and could have life-threatening consequences for astronauts in space, and could destroy billions of dollars worth of satellites.
Russia's test
On Monday, November 15th, the Russian military tested their capabilities to destroy a satellite using their Nudol missle. They did not want to spend the money to launch a new target, and didn’t want to destroy a functioning satellite, so they decided to use an old Soviet satellite, Kosmos 1408. Kosmos 1408 was a surveillance satellite that listen to radios on Earth. The satellite created at least 1,500 pieces of debris, not counting all the pieces that are too small to track. Within a few minutes of the collision a large cloud of satellite debris had formed and began to spread out throughout Earth orbit.
The consequences
After the test, Russian, American, and German astronauts on the International Space Station were warned about the cloud of debris and closed hatches to many of the space stations modules. By closing off modules, the damage from a potential impact could be minimized. The astronauts also took shelter in the Dragon and Soyuz spacecraft that they arrived in during a few of the close encounters with the debris. The debris from Kosmos-1408 also poses a threat to most spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), including astronauts on China's Tiangong space station. The astronauts have since resumed normal operations.
The debris is not only an immediate problem, it is also a long term problem. Experts have predicted that the ISS might have to dodge debris from Kosmos-1408 multiple times over the next few years. Multiple spacecraft will have to expend their fuel to dodge this debris, which will shorten their missions.
Conclusion
The US, China, and India have all tested anti-satellite weapons, but most of tests have been in much lower orbits and the debris has deorbited quickly. The ISS orbits at about 420km above earth. Which is 320km above the Karman line, which many consider to be the boundary of space. The Russian anti-satellite test was at an altitude of about 650km. The debris will likely remain in orbit for a years, or even decades, since it takes much longer for items in higher orbits to decay.
I agree with what Bill Nelson, current NASA Administrator, said on Monday that the test was "reckless and dangerous". This test threatened all 10 of the astronauts that were in space at the time. I think the space debris is a growing crisis that could become as threat to the global economy that we have today. I hope to write two more articles in the next few months about Kessler syndrome and solutions to space debris.
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