--- title: "Space Station Forced to Perform Huge Swerve to Avoid Debris From When Russia Blew Up a Satellite" description: "The International Space Station had to ignite its thrusters for over five minutes to dodge pieces of the satellite Russia intentionally blew up last year." date: "2022-10-25" modified: "2022-10-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-burn-debris-russia" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "international space station" - "Russia" - "space debris" - "the digest" --- # Space Station Forced to Perform Huge Swerve to Avoid Debris From When Russia Blew Up a Satellite ![The International Space Station had to ignite its thrusters for over five minutes to dodge pieces of the satellite Russia intentionally blew up last year.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Dodge and Burn The International Space Station had to ignite its thrusters for upwards of five minutes on Monday to dodge pieces of the satellite Russia [intentionally blew up]() with a missile last year. NASA acknowledged the maneuver in a [very dry announcement]() last night that seemed engineered not to inflame tension with Russia, with which the agency co-manages the space station. "Without the maneuver, it was predicted that the fragment could have passed within about three miles from the station," NASA wrote. ## Stirred Up Russia's [highly controversial]() anti-satellite missile test, which took place in November 2021, blew up an out-of-commission Russian satellite into over 1,500 trackable pieces of space debris. The unexpected test even reportedly forced crews on board the ISS to [shelter in their escape vehicles]() in case any of the debris had made impact. This summer, Russia [even acknowledged]() that debris from the explosion had forced the station to perform yet another dodge. After the blast, the US government responded with absolute outrage. "We will work with our allies and partners in different ways to make clear that the United States, that the international community is not going to tolerate this kind of irresponsible behavior," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price noted at the time. NASA head Bill Nelson piled on, [calling]() the blast "unconscionable" and saying it could "endanger not only the American and international partner astronauts on the ISS, but also their own cosmonauts." **More on Russia:** *[Russian Cosmonaut Runs Over Elderly Colleague]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()