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Space Station Maneuvers to Avoid Collision

Posted on: Friday, 30 May 2003, 06:00 CDT

By MARK CARREAU

Houston Chronicle -- The international space station was successfully maneuvered at mid-day to avoid a close encounter with a small Italian telecommunications satellite.

The propulsive maneuver at 11:50 a.m., CDT, raised the altitude of the 240 mile high orbital base by nearly one mile.

Without the maneuver, the 77 pound MegSat 0 would have crossed well within the boundaries of an imaginary clearance zone maintained around the 170-foot long orbital base just before (Friday ) 4 p.m., CST, said NASA spokesman Rob Navias. The zone measures about 16 miles ahead and behind and to the left and right of the station as well as a mile above and below.

Space station tenants Ed Lu of NASA and Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian space agency began a six-month stay in late April.

Launched April 28, 1999, MegSat 0 is an experimental satellite operated by the MegSat Space Division of the Meggiorin Group.

Today's avoidance maneuver was the sixth time the space station has moved to avoid a potential collision with an orbiting satellite or piece of manmade orbital debris since construction of the outpost began in late 1998.

The propulsion for the move was furnished by a Russian Progress cargo capsule docked to the station's aft end.

The small change in altitude will have no impact on plans by the Russians to launch another Progress capsule to the station early next month. The launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is planned for early June 8. The capsule and its cargo of food, water,fuel and other supplies should reach the station three days later.

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