International Space Station Maneuvers to Avoid Debris

The International Space Station (ISS) performed a Pre-determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) on Tuesday, using thrusters from the Russian Progress 89 spacecraft to raise its orbit and avoid a piece of debris from a defunct meteorological satellite broken up in 2015. This maneuver, which lasted 5 minutes and 31 seconds, was necessary to ensure a safe distance from debris that could have come within 2.5 miles of the station. The operation was coordinated between NASA, Roscosmos, and other ISS partners, highlighting the collaborative effort to maintain safety in increasingly crowded orbits. This incident marked the first debris avoidance maneuver for the ISS in 2024 and the 39th since its launch in 1998, reflecting the growing challenge of space debris. Despite the maneuver, ISS operations were unaffected, and it did not impact the scheduled launch of the Progress 90 cargo craft. The increasing frequency of such maneuvers underscores the risks posed by space debris to both crewed and uncrewed missions in low Earth orbit.