From: Andrew Johnson
Date: 2009-02-12 22:19:58
—–Original Message—– From: SpaceWeather.com [mailto:swlist@spaceweather….] Sent: 12 February 2009 18:39 To: SpaceWeather.com Subject: Satellites Collide in Space Space Weather News for Feb. 12, 2009 spaceweather.com COLLIDING SATELLITES: Experts are calling it an “unprecedented event.” Two large satellites have collided in Earth orbit. Kosmos 2251 crashed into Iridium 33 on Tuesday, Feb. 10th, approximately 800 km over northern Siberia; both were destroyed. The resulting clouds of debris contain more than 500 fragments, significantly increasing the orbital debris population at altitudes where the collision occurred. The Air Force Space Surveillance Radar is monitoring the clouds as they pass over the radar facility in Texas. We, in turn, are monitoring signals from the radar and you may be able to hear debris “pings” by tuning in to our live audio feed. This is a story that will unfold in the days ahead as researchers study the evolution of the debris clouds and piece together the details of the collision. Stay tuned to spaceweather.com for full coverage. You are subscribed to the Space Weather mailing list, a free service of Spaceweather.com. New subscribers: To sign up for free space weather alerts, click here: spaceweather.com/ser… To unsubscribe click here: www.spaceweather2.co… or send a blank email to leave-spaceweather-4… No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG – www.avg.com Version: 8.0.233 / Virus Database: 270.10.19/1940 – Release Date: 02/08/09 17:57:00
