There has been wild speculation about the Russian satellite “Kosmos 2499” since it was commissioned in 2014. Now the Americans report the collapse of the flying object.
“18SDS has confirmed the breakup of ‘Kosmos-2499’,” the US Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron writes on Twitter. The incident happened on January 4 at an altitude of about 1,169 kilometers above the Earth. The satellite broke up into at least 85 pieces, which now orbit our Earth as space debris.
The story of “Cosmos 2499” also began as space debris. It was not on the list of objects carried when a Russian rocket was launched eight years ago and was not noticed until later, when it was already a flying object in space. At first he was thought to be junk until he started making deliberate moves.
Because the 0.3-meter-long satellite once came within less than a kilometer of a Russian rocket stage, observers speculated it might be able to detect and disable other spacecraft. Whether “Kosmos 2499” was armed is never known.
The 85 separate parts are definitely some kind of weapon. Because space debris moves through space at a speed of tens of thousands of kilometers per hour. Even small particles can become destructive projectiles.
Experts from the European Space Agency estimate that more than 9,100 tons of space debris are orbiting our Earth. The parts of the Russian satellite are now being added to these remnants of manned spaceflight. According to the experts, it can be assumed that the fragments will accompany us for about 100 years before finally burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
(t online)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
