Agency Special Correspondent TASSRoscosmos cosmonaut Dmitry Petelin stated that the International Space Station (ISS) was maneuvering to avoid a patch of space debris. Petelin explained that, had the maneuver failed, the station would have drawn closer to the debris around 18:00 Moscow time. The adjustment relied on the engines of the Progress MS-22 spacecraft, which docked with the ISS on February 11. As a result of the orbital correction, the station’s altitude increased by about 1.2 kilometers. The maneuver underscores the ongoing call for vigilance as human activities in low Earth orbit generate debris that can threaten crew safety and mission integrity.
This event adds to a recent line of debris avoidance actions in which the Progress modules have played a crucial role. The last time a Progress spacecraft actively moved the ISS away from potential debris was December 21, 2022, when Progress MS-20 executed a similar corrective maneuver. Such operations are part of the routine operations conducted by international partners to ensure the safety of the crew and the station itself as it continues long-duration missions in space.
In earlier communications, Roscosmos published updates on the situation through its Telegram channel, sharing imagery captured from the ISS. The press service noted that the photos were taken by cosmonauts Sergei Korsakov, Oleg Artemiev, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Ivan Vagner, and Sergei Ryzhikov, illustrating conditions in orbit and the context of debris management efforts. This reporting context highlights how newsgathering from space missions blends with official briefings to keep the public informed about real-time orbital hazards and the measures taken to mitigate them. (Roscosmos Telegram)