ISS astronauts shelter from debris
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were briefly sent to their Soyuz lifeboats on 28 June for a 'shelter-in-place' when a small piece of space debris threatened the station.
The debris was projected to pass within 850ft of the ISS. No impact was detected, and it is unknown how close the debris passed. Neither NASA nor US air force space command, which tracks orbital debris, could immediately provide details of the debris size, orbit or origin.
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A 'shelter-in-place' has only occurred once before, according to NASA, in 2009. That event also ended without incident.
Orbital debris is a serious and increasingly common problem for spacecraft.
Source: Flight International
