Anche nello spazio, ogni tanto, qualche piccolo 'incidente stradale' può accadere. Meglio: 'incidente orbitale', considerando che la Stazione Spaziale Internazionale ieri ha dovuto urgentemente cambiare rotta a causa della spazzatura spaziale.
L'allarme è stato lanciato direttamente dal centro di controllo della missione russa, il quale ha reso noto "che il rischio di collisione sarebbe stato molto alto" se non si fossero prese immediatamente le misure necessarie ad evitare lo scontro.
Si tratta di detriti di satelliti artificiali, di razzi, scaglie di vernici, polveri, materiale espulso dai motori delle navicelle, che avrebbero potuto mettere a rischio l'intero progetto spaziale.
E quindi, manovra è stata, precisamente ieri "alle 14.25 ora di Mosca" (le 12.25 italiane), secondo quanto riferito dal portavoce del centro di controllo russo, Valery Lyndin.
"I motori sono stati avviati per 180 secondi, provocando un aumento della velocità di 0,4 metri al secondo, che ha permesso di scansare il pericolo", ha aggiunto Lyndin.
Stando ancora alle informazioni provenute dall'amministrazione russia, "la manovra avrebbe consentito alla stazione spaziale di allontanare la minaccia, rimasta così 50 metri sopra la stazione, 500 metri di fianco e 1km e 300 metri dietro".
Augusto Rubei
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