NASA
The EEI – International Space Station
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The International Space Station (ISS) was hit by space debris that caused damage to the robotic arm Canadarm2. An unavoidable incident before a “time bomb” that should worry us.
Canadarm2, Canada’s Space Agency (AEC) equipment that has been operating in the ISS for about 20 years, was hit by small space debris. Fragments that were not tracked because they were too small to be “caught” by ISS aircraft.
But despite being damaged, the robotic arm remains operational, What announced a AEC.
“Despite the impact, the results of the ongoing analysis indicate that the performance of the arm [robótico] remains unchanged”, stresses the Canadian agency, stressing that “the damage is limited to a small section of the arm jib and the thermal blanket”.
Thus, “planned operations” with Canadarm2 continue to be carried out.
The multi-articulated robotic arm, made of titanium, helps maneuver objects outside the Space Station, also assisting in ISS maintenance and cargo handling.
O space junk impact against Canadarm2 was detected on May 12th during a routine inspection. NASA and AEC are now working together to assess the extent of the damage.
The episode, although not serious, is “a worrying reminder that the problem of space junk from low Earth orbit is a time bomb”, as the scientific publication points out. Science Alert.
The problem of space debris concerns every space agency in the world. Currently, “more than 23 thousand pieces are being tracked, in low Earth orbit, to help the satellites and the ISS to avoid collisions”, points out the said publication.
These fragments have pieces that can be the size of a tennis ball or larger. But anything smaller than that cannot be traced. But even so, it can still do damage, namely piercing metal plates as happened now with Canadarm2.
The ISS incident is yet another sign that space debris incidents are on the rise.
A recent report by the European Space Agency (ESA) estimated that 130 million fragments smaller than a millimeter orbit the Earth. These fragments can interfere with terrestrial technology and communications, with consequences for our daily lives.
Susana Valente, ZAP // 
