Decommissioned Russian satellite breaks up in space; astronauts on ISS take shelter

Decommissioned Russian satellite breaks up in space

The satellite weighed more than 13,000 pounds
US space officials found no immediate threat
Astronauts on ISS sheltered in place for about an hour

Updated: Jun 27, 2024 / 11:39 AM EDT

This undated photo released by Roscosmos State Space Corporation shows the International Space Station (ISS). An uncrewed Russian supply ship docked at the International Space Station has lost cabin pressure, the Russian space corporation said Saturday, noting that the incident doesn’t pose any danger to the station’s crew. (Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP)

(NewsNation) — Astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to take shelter on Wednesday after a decommissioned Russian-owned satellite broke up in space, causing more than 100 pieces of debris to be sent into orbit.

U.S. Space Command confirmed the breakup of RESURS-P1 just before noon ET on Wednesday. In a post on its X social media account, the International Space Station said astronauts had been instructed by NASA to shelter in their respective spacecraft Wednesday evening as a precautionary measure.

NASA informed crews that the breakup had occurred at an altitude similar to that of the space station’s. Crews remained sheltered for about an hour, the social media post said as NASA Mission Control continued to monitor the situation.

Shortly after 9 p.m. EDT, @NASA instructed crews aboard the space station to shelter in their respective spacecraft as a standard precautionary measure after it was informed of a satellite break-up at an altitude near the station’s earlier Wednesday. Mission Control continued to…
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) June 27, 2024

U.S. Space Command announced Thursday that it observed no immediate threat and is continuing to conduct routine assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain, the agency said in a news release.

The Russian Earth observation satellite was decommissioned in 2022.

The breakup was first reported by LeoLabs, which monitors more than 20,000 objects in space. The organization said the Russian satellite was launched in 2013 and weighed 13,000 pounds and was orbiting above LeoLabs at around 220 miles in altitude, Forbes reported.

LeoLabs reported seeing debris as late as 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Forbes reported that the ISS has sustained minor damage over the years, but that no astronauts have ever been injured. However, space junk remains a growing concern as the number of satellites and fragments of satellites have increased over the years, Forbes reported.