Two old satellites could collide over US, space debris tracker warns

今日の英語の習慣化の題材です。

米国上空で,古い衛星同士が衝突する危険があるとの事、衛星追跡器が警告を発しました。

Two satellites could potentially collide just above Pittsburgh on Wednesday, according to space debris tracker LeoLabs. IRAS (13777), a decommissioned space telescope launched in 1983, and GGSE-4 (2828), an experimental US payload launched in 1967, will pass incredibly close to each other at a relative velocity of 14.7 km/s, LeoLabs said in a tweet Monday.

The company said it's monitoring the approach, and that its latest metrics "show a predicted miss distance of between 15-30 meters." That distance is concerning given the size of IRAS, which is 3.6 meters by 3.24 meters x 2.05 meters, LeoLabs said. The combined size of IRAS and GGSE-4 increases the chances of a collision, which stands at around 1 in 100.

"Events like this highlight the need for responsible, timely deorbiting of satellites for space sustainability moving forward," LeoLabs tweeted. "We will continue to monitor this event through the coming days and provide updates as available."