Rocket Debris To Miss International Space Station
CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami/AP) – NASA has given the three astronauts aboard the International Space Station the all clear concerning two pieces of space junk heading it their general direction.
On Thursday, NASA said the orbiting lab does not need to move out of the way of fragments from an Indian rocket and an old Russian satellite. The maneuver had been planned for Thursday morning, but was called off.
Mission Control says there is a high degree of confidence neither object will come too close to the space station.
The astronauts and controllers can now turn their attention to Friday's undocking of a European cargo ship. The departure was put off earlier this week because of a communication system error.
The space station's neighborhood, 260 miles up, is full of potentially damaging debris. Usually, the junk keeps a safe distance.
(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
