A Russian anti-satellite missile test has created a debris field in low-Earth orbit of more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris, forcing the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter in their spacecraft for safety, the US said. This direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile test has also likely generated thousands of smaller pieces which are difficult to track.
A Russian anti-satellite missile test has created a debris field in low-Earth orbit of more than 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris, forcing the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter in their spacecraft for safety, the US said. This direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile test has also likely generated thousands of smaller pieces which are difficult to track. The docked space capsules, in which the seven space crew members took shelter, are deployed on the ISS as a precautionary measure to allow astronauts to evacuate in case of an emergency.
