Russian anti-satellite test creates problem for ISS

The seven astronauts and cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station sheltered inside their respective spacecraft, a Crew Dragon and Soyuz, on Monday morning as the orbiting laboratory passed through an unexpected debris field.

This was not a pre-planned collision avoidance maneuver in low Earth orbit, in which the station would use onboard propulsion to move away. Rather, the situation required the astronauts to quickly take shelter.

Aside from this statement, as of early Monday afternoon in the United States, there have been no official confirmations of details about the test. However, satellite and orbital dynamics experts have pieced together the most likely scenario of what happened based on publicly available data and observations. Brian Weeden, of the Secure World Foundation, summarized these conclusions here.

2:40 pm ET Update: During a daily briefing today, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said the test had created more than 1,500 pieces of trackable debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of un-trackable debris.

"The Russian Federation recklessly conducted a destructive satellite test of a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile against one of its own satellites," Price said. "This test will significantly increase the risk to astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station as well as to other human spaceflight activities. Russia's dangerous and irresponsible behavior jeopardizes the long-term sustainability of outer space."

"On November 15, the Defense Ministry of Russia successfully conducted a test, in which the Russian defunct Tselina-D satellite in orbit since 1982 was struck," the statement issued on Tuesday said. "The United States knows for certain that the emerging fragments at the time of the test and in terms of the orbit’s parameters did not and will not pose any threat to orbital stations, satellites and space activity."

the statement issued on Tuesday said. "The United States knows for certain that the emerging fragments at the time of the test and in terms of the orbit’s parameters did not and will not pose any threat to orbital stations, satellites and space activity."

rick1 wrote:It's bad enough we pollute our own place, now we have to pollute space.
Time for another new green space deal.

Drinkthekoolaid wrote:Things are really getting tense.
Lots of bad things are happening.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,...
evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Perhaps the most dangerous by-product of the Age of Intellect is the unconscious growth of the idea that the human brain can solve the problems of the world. Even on the low level of practical affairs this is patently untrue. Any small human activity, the local bowls club or the ladies’ luncheon club, requires for its survival a measure of self- sacrifice and service on the part of the members. In a wider national sphere, the survival of the nation depends basically on the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the citizens. The impression that the situation can be saved by mental cleverness, without unsel- fishness or human self-dedication, can only lead to collapse.

During this period the empire fell apart, the various dominions and provinces each assuming virtual independence and seeking its own interests. Baghdad, lately the capital of a vast empire, found its authority limited to Iraq alone.

The works of the contemporary historians of Baghdad in the early tenth century are still available. They deeply deplored the degeneracy of the times in which they lived, emphasising particularly the indifference to religion, the increasing materialism and the laxity of sexual morals. They lamented also the corruption of the officials of the government and the fact that politicians always seemed to amass large fortunes while they were in office.

The historians commented bitterly on the extraordinary influence acquired by popular singers over young people, resulting in a decline in sexual morality. The ‘pop’ singers of Baghdad accompanied their erotic songs on the lute, an instrument resembling the modern guitar. In the second half of the tenth century, as a result, much obscene sexual language came increasingly into use, such as would not have been tolerated in an earlier age.
...
The disorders following the military take- over in 861, and the loss of the empire, had played havoc with the economy. At such a moment, it might have been expected that everyone would redouble their efforts to save the country from bankruptcy, but nothing of the kind occurred. Instead, at this moment of declining trade and financial stringency, the people of Baghdad introduced a five-day week.

When I first read these contemporary descriptions of tenth-century Baghdad, I could scarcely believe my eyes. I told myself that this must be a joke! The descriptions might have been taken out of The Times today. The resemblance of all the details was especially breathtaking—the break-up of the empire, the abandonment of sexual morality, the ‘pop’ singers with their guitars, the entry of women into the professions, the five-day week. I would not venture to attempt an explanation! There are so many mysteries about human life which are far beyond our comprehension.

TRex2 wrote:

rick1 wrote:It's bad enough we pollute our own place, now we have to pollute space.
Time for another new green space deal.

The good news is, there is a lot of space up there.

I mentioned before, "debris traveling at 100 fps today will travel over 1000 miles by tomorrow," but the good news is: if there is a million pieces of debris from that impact, after they travel 1000 miles, the average distance between them (assuming they all departed at the same speed) will be 12 miles. It would have been better, though, if they had dragged the satellite to an eccentric orbit, where the minimum altitude each time it orbited was less than 100 miles. Then, after the impact the debris would have all been dragged into the atmosphere, over a period of a few months to a few years. The way it is now, more than half of the debris will be up there for  hundreds of years (or until Jesus comes back to clean up the mess).

Drinkthekoolaid wrote:Things are really getting tense.
Lots of bad things are happening.

Of course.
2 Timothy chapter 3

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,...
evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

This is talking about the days we are living in.
In Fate of Empires, John Glubb said

Perhaps the most dangerous by-product of the Age of Intellect is  the  unconscious growth of the idea that the human brain can solve the problems of the world. Even on the low level of practical affairs this is patently untrue. Any small human activity, the local bowls club or the ladies’ luncheon club, requires for its survival a measure of self- sacrifice and service on the part of the members. In a wider national sphere, the survival of the nation depends basically  on the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the citizens. The impression that the situation can  be saved by mental cleverness, without unsel- fishness or human self-dedication, can only lead to collapse.

He also said this:

During this period the empire fell apart, the various dominions and provinces each assuming virtual independence and seeking its own interests. Baghdad, lately the capital of a vast empire, found its authority limited  to Iraq alone.

The works of the contemporary historians of Baghdad in the early tenth century are still available. They deeply deplored the degeneracy of the times in which they lived, emphasising particularly the indifference to religion, the increasing materialism and the laxity of sexual morals. They lamented also the corruption of the officials of the government and the fact that politicians always seemed to amass large fortunes while they were in office.

The historians commented bitterly on the extraordinary influence acquired by popular singers over young people, resulting in a decline in sexual morality. The ‘pop’ singers  of Baghdad accompanied their erotic  songs on the lute, an instrument resembling the modern guitar. In the second half of  the  tenth century, as a result, much obscene sexual language came increasingly into use, such as would not have been tolerated in an earlier age.
...
The disorders following the military take- over in 861, and the loss of the empire, had played havoc with the economy. At such a moment, it might have been expected that everyone would redouble their efforts to save the country from bankruptcy, but nothing of the kind occurred. Instead, at this moment of declining trade and financial stringency, the people of Baghdad introduced a five-day week.

When I first read these contemporary descriptions of tenth-century Baghdad, I could scarcely believe my eyes. I told myself that this must be a joke! The descriptions might have been taken out of The Times today. The resemblance of all the details was especially breathtaking—the break-up of the empire, the abandonment of sexual morality, the ‘pop’ singers with their guitars, the entry of women into the professions, the five-day week. I would not venture to attempt an explanation! There are so many mysteries about human life which are far beyond our comprehension.

Sir John Glubb wrote these things at the sunset of the British Empire.

Sound familiar?

Drinkthekoolaid wrote:
Absolutely fascinating and also ominous to those willing to listen.
I think I've seen this movie before... I can guess how it ends.

Times might change but human nature doesn't.