Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6903|132 and Bush

space.com – 5 mins ago
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station took refuge inside their Russian-built Soyuz lifeboat Thursday when a potentially life-threatening piece of space debris zipped too close to their orbiting laboratory.

The three astronauts, two Americans and one Russian, moved into the station's attached Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft at 12:35 p.m. EDT (1635 GMT) as a safety precaution in case the debris - a small piece of a spent satellite motor - slammed into the orbiting lab and ripped a hole in its outer hull. The astronauts were ready to evacuate the space station if the debris hit the station and depressurized its living space.

Notice of the incoming debris came overnight, too late for flight controllers to plan a maneuver to fire the station's thrusters and put more space between it and the space trash, NASA officials said. But the debris apparently did not impact the $100 billion orbiting lab as it flew 220 miles (354 km) above Earth.

"We're all happy the [debris] passed with no impact," NASA's Mission Control radioed up to the crew from the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. "That's great news."

NASA spokesperson Brandi Dean at JSC told SPACE.com that the astronauts did not fully close the hatches between the Soyuz and the rest of the space station during the precaution, but they were prepared to do so if required. The satellite motor remnant was expected to zoom past the station at a distance of about 2.4 miles (4 km), Dean said.
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Xbone Stormsurgezz
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|6923|London, England
I've always wondered that about the Space Station, what's it's chances of surviving an impact from a very small object travelling at its typical hypervelocity in space. That goes for all the satellites, one small piece travelling super fast can cause a shit load of damage. And if the Space Station gets perforated, well then it's game over for everyone inside..
Ajax_the_Great1
Dropped on request
+206|6949
I want to go to space so I can use the prefix "space" before everything.

"I have to take a space piss" "I need to brush my space teeth" ect. ect...
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6903|132 and Bush

Mekstizzle wrote:

well then it's game over for everyone inside..
...must .. resist..posting.. game... over ...video
Xbone Stormsurgezz
M.O.A.B
'Light 'em up!'
+1,220|6525|Escea

Kmarion wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

well then it's game over for everyone inside..
...must .. resist..posting.. game... over ...video
Resistance is futile.

Perhaps they could put some sort of collision alert system on the ISS, a bit like TCAS but automatic so the station repositions itself.
S.Lythberg
Mastermind
+429|6749|Chicago, IL

Mekstizzle wrote:

I've always wondered that about the Space Station, what's it's chances of surviving an impact from a very small object travelling at its typical hypervelocity in space. That goes for all the satellites, one small piece travelling super fast can cause a shit load of damage. And if the Space Station gets perforated, well then it's game over for everyone inside..
The station has multiple pods, each of which can be pressure sealed should one be breached, so assuming the piece doesn't actually hit the people inside, they should be fine.

repairs would cost millions though
ghettoperson
Member
+1,943|6952

S.Lythberg wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

I've always wondered that about the Space Station, what's it's chances of surviving an impact from a very small object travelling at its typical hypervelocity in space. That goes for all the satellites, one small piece travelling super fast can cause a shit load of damage. And if the Space Station gets perforated, well then it's game over for everyone inside..
The station has multiple pods, each of which can be pressure sealed should one be breached, so assuming the piece doesn't actually hit the people inside, they should be fine.

repairs would cost millions though
It's in space, I'd have thought it would have been in the billions. I'm always surprised at how little a billion dollars seems to get done.
FatherTed
xD
+3,936|6803|so randum

M.O.A.B wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

well then it's game over for everyone inside..
...must .. resist..posting.. game... over ...video
Resistance is futile.

Perhaps they could put some sort of collision alert system on the ISS, a bit like TCAS but automatic so the station repositions itself.
They have one, and it can be moved, but iirc they didn't spot this in time.
Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6903|132 and Bush

ghettoperson wrote:

S.Lythberg wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

I've always wondered that about the Space Station, what's it's chances of surviving an impact from a very small object travelling at its typical hypervelocity in space. That goes for all the satellites, one small piece travelling super fast can cause a shit load of damage. And if the Space Station gets perforated, well then it's game over for everyone inside..
The station has multiple pods, each of which can be pressure sealed should one be breached, so assuming the piece doesn't actually hit the people inside, they should be fine.

repairs would cost millions though
It's in space, I'd have thought it would have been in the billions. I'm always surprised at how little a billion dollars seems to get done.
The station itself is a 100 billion dollar project.. funded by multiple nations. It cost us around 450 million just to get the shuttle up to the station.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6832|Global Command

Kmarion wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

S.Lythberg wrote:


The station has multiple pods, each of which can be pressure sealed should one be breached, so assuming the piece doesn't actually hit the people inside, they should be fine.

repairs would cost millions though
It's in space, I'd have thought it would have been in the billions. I'm always surprised at how little a billion dollars seems to get done.
The station itself is a 100 billion dollar project.. funded by multiple nations. It cost us around 450 million just to get the shuttle up to the station.
Chump change compared to the Viagrulus bailout.
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|6903|132 and Bush

ATG wrote:

Kmarion wrote:

ghettoperson wrote:

It's in space, I'd have thought it would have been in the billions. I'm always surprised at how little a billion dollars seems to get done.
The station itself is a 100 billion dollar project.. funded by multiple nations. It cost us around 450 million just to get the shuttle up to the station.
Chump change compared to the Viagrulus bailout.
Did you know that we're going to hand full control over to the Euro's, Russia and Japan purty soon?

The United States is going to focus its space resources on returning to the moon. That leaves little money for space station participation. Europe, Russia and Japan will eventually become the major players on the space station, although the U.S. will still participate. There will be six permanent crewmembers living aboard the station beginning next year. There are three now. Americans will undoubtedly have a presence, but Europe, Japan, and Russia will be the main players. The change will be gradual, but by 2015, the U.S. will be largely out of the space station business. That is, of course, unless the next president changes the policy.
Xbone Stormsurgezz
FEOS
Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate
+1,182|6713|'Murka

S.Lythberg wrote:

Mekstizzle wrote:

I've always wondered that about the Space Station, what's it's chances of surviving an impact from a very small object travelling at its typical hypervelocity in space. That goes for all the satellites, one small piece travelling super fast can cause a shit load of damage. And if the Space Station gets perforated, well then it's game over for everyone inside..
The station has multiple pods, each of which can be pressure sealed should one be breached, so assuming the piece doesn't actually hit the people inside, they should be fine.

repairs would cost millions though
duct tape is cheap
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein

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