2009 satellite collision

The two satellites involved in the collision: Iridium 33 (silver and gold) and a digital rendering of Kosmos 2251 (blue cylinder)

On February 10, 2009, two communications satellites—the active commercial Iridium 33 and the derelict Russian military Kosmos 2251—accidentally collided at a speed of 11.7 km/s (26,000 mph) and an altitude of 789 kilometres (490 mi) above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] It was the first time a hypervelocity collision occurred between two satellites; previous incidents had involved a satellite and a piece of space debris.^[7]

^ McDowell, Jonathan (February 15, 2009). "Jonathan's Space Report No. 606". Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2009. Strela-2M satellites had lifetimes of around 3 years, and Gen. Yakushin of the Military Space Forces was quoted in Moscow Times as saying Kosmos-2251 went out of service in 1995.
^ Iannotta, Becky (February 22, 2009). "U.S. Satellite Destroyed in Space Collision". Space.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
^ Achenbach, Joel (February 11, 2009). "Debris From Satellites' Collision Said to Pose Small Risk to Space Station". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
^ Marks, Paul (February 13, 2009). "Satellite collision 'more powerful than China's ASAT test". New Scientist. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009. (putting the collision speed at 42,120 kilometres per hour (11.7 km/s)
^ Matthews, Mark K. (February 13, 2009). "Crash imperils satellites that monitor Earth". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009. (reporting it as "what amounted to a 26,000 mph [7.7 miles/sec] collision")
^ "Collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251". N2YO. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009.
^ "Satellite Collision Leaves Significant Debris Clouds" (PDF). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. 13 (2). NASA Orbital Debris Program Office: 1–2. April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.

[jsr-1] McDowell, Jonathan (February 15, 2009). "Jonathan's Space Report No. 606". Archived from the original on April 5, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2009. Strela-2M satellites had lifetimes of around 3 years, and Gen. Yakushin of the Military Space Forces was quoted in Moscow Times as saying Kosmos-2251 went out of service in 1995.

[Space-2] Iannotta, Becky (February 22, 2009). "U.S. Satellite Destroyed in Space Collision". Space.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.

[3] Achenbach, Joel (February 11, 2009). "Debris From Satellites' Collision Said to Pose Small Risk to Space Station". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 12, 2009.

[4] Marks, Paul (February 13, 2009). "Satellite collision 'more powerful than China's ASAT test". New Scientist. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009. (putting the collision speed at 42,120 kilometres per hour (11.7 km/s)

[5] Matthews, Mark K. (February 13, 2009). "Crash imperils satellites that monitor Earth". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009. (reporting it as "what amounted to a 26,000 mph [7.7 miles/sec] collision")

[n2yo-6] "Collision between Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251". N2YO. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2009.

[7] "Satellite Collision Leaves Significant Debris Clouds" (PDF). Orbital Debris Quarterly News. 13 (2). NASA Orbital Debris Program Office: 1–2. April 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.

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