A ‘potential collision’ is expected between America's Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Mission (TIMED) spacecraft and Russia's Cosmos 2221 satellite about 600 km above the earth, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said on Wednesday.
The US Department of Defense is monitoring the situation, read a statement by the space agency.
The two non-maneuverable orbiting spacecraft from the US and Russia are expected to make their closest pass at about 1:30 AM EST (around 12 pm in India) on Wednesday.
They shall pass each other at an altitude of around 373 miles (600 km).
“Although the spacecraft are expected to miss each other, a collision could result in significant debris generation. NASA and the Department of Defense will continue to monitor the situation,” NASA said.
Further, it explained that the US' TIMED science mission studies the influence of the Sun and human activity on Earth’s mesosphere and the lower thermosphere or ionosphere.
This region is the gateway between Earth and space, where the Sun’s energy is first deposited into Earth’s environment, it added.
Cosmos 2221 is a Russian Electronic and Signals Intelligence (ELINT) satellite, which was launched in 1992 through Tsiklon-3 in Russia's Plesetsk. The satellite is said to weigh around 2,000 kg.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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