Space Station Briefly Evacuated Due To Possible Space Debris Collision
A piece of debris of about 13 cm in diameter and probably part of a spent satellite motor was due to pass through the possible collision zone and even though the possibility of contact was minimal (passing about 4.5 KM from the station) NASA decided to be prudent and take precautionary steps. - Leggi
See also: Satellite traffic problems by Jonathan Hankins
Satellite traffic problems
On February 10th there was a traffic accident of a new type. Two satellites were involved, one an American "Iridium" communications satellite and the other an abandoned Russian "Cosmos" military satellite. The American satellite was still in use but the Russian machine had been out of service since 1995 and was no longer actively controlled. It had been launched on 16th June 1993 and was in service for 2 years. The crash took place 491miles above Siberia in one of the most popular orbits for these types of vehicle (military, weather and communications). - Leggi