Debris in someone else's eye

The US State Department fears for the fate of the ISS

Russian and American space experts have again entered into controversy. NASA representatives stated that the International Space Station is threatened by debris from a Chinese satellite, and a collision can only be avoided by adjusting the ISS orbit. However, the Mission Control Center near Moscow was very surprised by such statements from overseas colleagues. “The information that the ISS is allegedly threatened by debris from a Chinese satellite is, to put it mildly, exaggerated,” Alexander Vorobyov, head of the Roscosmos press service, noted with no less surprise. Both Mr. Vorobyov and representatives of the Mission Control Center believe that “no correction of the station’s orbit is planned.” The Russian space agency does not explain what exactly could have caused the “alarm signal” given on Friday by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Donald Maley, but experts are already expressing the opinion that in this way the Americans are trying to distract public opinion from possible problems in the event of an uncontrolled descent from the Earth. orbit of their military satellite.

Reports that the ISS is under threat appeared at the end of last week. The report by Mr. Maley, who is involved in export control and threat analysis for the United States, paid particular attention to the development of Chinese space exploration. The State Department representative also mentioned last year's tests of anti-satellite weapons, during which one of the Chinese spacecraft was destroyed. Mr. Maley believes that its debris could create a problem for other orbital objects - satellites and the ISS. “NASA experts anticipate that to avoid debris from the ISS, it may be necessary to perform maneuvers that would not otherwise be necessary,” RIA Novosti quotes the diplomat as saying. According to the US State Department, the world community may well make financial claims against China for dangerous pollution of the near-Earth orbit.

Roscosmos is not inclined to either politicize or dramatize the situation with orbital debris, including that of Chinese origin. “The situation is under the control of ballistics experts. The safety of the station’s flight is ensured by the surveillance equipment of the Russian space control system,” said Mr. Vorobiev.

It is noteworthy that Donald Maley's report appeared a week after information leaked to the media about problems with an American military satellite - control over it was lost, and this rather large device is expected to enter the dense layers of the earth's atmosphere in the coming weeks. It is not yet clear to ballistics experts whether all its debris will burn and in what area they can be expected to fall. Moreover, the creators of the satellite cannot give a 100 percent guarantee of safety. In Russia, they believe that the transfer of public interest to the Chinese debris is a planned maneuver by NASA specialists and diplomats. One of the domestic experts has already told Interfax that information about this was deliberately thrown into the media in order to divert attention from the American military satellite.

Kirill MELNIKOV