Source Says ISS Conducted Maneuver To Avoid Fragment Of Japan's Rocket Stage

Source Says ISS Conducted Maneuver to Avoid Fragment of Japan's Rocket Stage

The unknown piece of space debris that the International Space Station (ISS) avoided on Wednesday was in fact a fragment of an exploded stage of Japan's H-2A carrier rocket, a source in the space sphere told Sputnik

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2020) The unknown piece of space debris that the International Space Station (ISS) avoided on Wednesday was in fact a fragment of an exploded stage of Japan's H-2A carrier rocket, a source in the space sphere told Sputnik.

"This 'stranger' was object 46477, internationally registered as 2018-084CQ. It is a fragment of the second stage of Japan's H-2A rocket, which exploded in February 2019," the source said.

According to the source, the rocket launched into space six satellites, including Ibuki-2 greenhouse gases observing satellite, back in October 2018.

According to data of the US Air Force, available on space-track.org website, the explosion of the second stage of Japan's rocket had led to the emergence of over 75 pieces of debris in space.