A 'Big Bang' in Earth's Orbital Space

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:56:40 +0000

Where: Orbital Space around Earth

February 15, 2009 : An American and a Russian satellite collided over Siberia, Russia, on February 10, 2009. Five days after the event, there were reports that burning fragments of the wreckage were spotted over several American cities. The American satellite, Iridium 33, was a civilian communications satellite launched in 1997, and the Russian one, Kosmos-2251, was a non-functioning military communications satellite, launched in 1993. Both satellites weighed over 450 kilograms. Travelling at approximately 28,000 kilometres per hour, they collided 790 kilometres above the earth. This was the largest accident in space in recent times, and it has created a mass of almost 600 chunks of fragments.

Satellite Crash on Pitara Kids Network

A 'Big Bang' in Earth's Orbital Space