A U.S. and Russian satellite collided over Siberia yesterday in what is being described as the first ever crash involving these kinds of objects at orbital speeds (approximately 17,500 miles per hour). According to this Bloomberg report, the collision occurred at 11:55am EST above Siberia and involved a defunct Russian Comos 2251 satellite and an Iridium Satellite LLC communications satellite.

The crash created a debris field of between 200 and 300 objects. However, Russia’s space agency stated that the debris field posed no threat to the International Space Station which orbits at around 220 miles above the Earth. An upcoming shuttle mission to the space station will also not be affected by this incident. However, NASA is concerned with the Earth Observing Satellites which orbit closer to the crash zone at an altitude of 439 miles.

Iridium, which uses 66 satellites to provide wireless phone and data services, stated that customers might experience “limited disruptions” as a result of the collision in space. The company will replace the satellite in 30 days with a spare that is already in orbit.

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