--- description: A chunk of space debris traveling more than eight miles per second forced three crew members aboard the International Space Station to seek emergency shelter title: Space Junk Forces Space Station Crew to Seek Shelter image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71b2bbb0ed2f556e/69885b553c16396338458e09/iss-space-station3.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Space](/tag/space/) ## Space Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Space Junk Forces Space Station Crew to Seek Shelter ## Video: A Year in Space - Ep.2: Unlikely Allies [Watch (HLS stream): A Year in Space - Ep.2: Unlikely Allies](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BsrUPYjJ.m3u8) (12:50)  _Published 2015-07-06. A Year in Space - Ep.2: Unlikely Allies_  by [Jonathan Woods](/author/jonathan-d-woods/)  ## Jonathan Woods Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 16, 2015 7:19 PM CUT  The International Space Station is seen from the space shuttle Discovery as the two orbital spacecraft accomplish their relative separation after an aggregate of 12 astronauts and cosmonauts worked together for over a week during flight day 12 activities on March 7, 2011 in Space. The International Space Station is seen from the space shuttle Discovery as the two orbital spacecraft accomplish their relative separation after an aggregate of 12 astronauts and cosmonauts worked together for over a week during flight day 12 activities on March 7, 2011 in Space.Getty Images  by [Jonathan Woods](/author/jonathan-d-woods/)  ## Jonathan Woods Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 16, 2015 7:19 PM CUT A chunk of space debris traveling more than eight miles per second forced three crew members aboard the International Space Station to seek emergency shelter on Thursday. NASA said the debris was a fragment from an old Russian weather satellite. For almost an hour, American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka were instructed to stay inside the Soyuz capsule, which is docked to the International Space Station. This is only the fourth time in the 15-year life of the space station that it has had to implement this procedure, NASA said. Video aboard the station showed Kelly, Kornienko and Padalka moving throughout the station to close hatches. “Happy there was no impact,” Kelly said via Twitter. “Great coordination with international ground teams. Excellent training.” Normally, NASA learns about incoming debris with more lead time. When it has more warning, jets on the station fire to maneuver the football-field sized structure out of the way. The ISS has been moved twice for debris since Scott Kelly came aboard in late March. But on Thursday, the crew only had 90 minutes notice. Another hour-and-a-half later, the crew received the all-clear and went back to work. NASA estimates there may be as many as half-a-million pieces of debris that could pose a threat to spacecraft like the International Space Station, which orbits at a speed of about 17,500 mph, or four miles per second. The debris that crossed the space station was estimated to be traveling about twice that speed. Next week, three more crew members are scheduled to launch from Kazakhstan to join those on board. Kelly and Kornienko are 110 days into a yearlong mission aboard the space station. It’s being covered by time in a multi-part TIME series, “A Year in Space,” which premiered last week. [Click here to watch the series](http://time.com/space "undefined"), or watch Episode 1, “Leaving Home,” below. _Read next:_ [_See the First Close-Up Photo of Mars Ever Taken_](http://time.com/3949257/mars-photos-mariner-iv/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") ### See Scott Kelly's First 30 Days in Space  Scott Kelly has posted a photo almost every day since arriving at the ISS. Here, see a selection from his first 30 days in space. (Via Twitter on April 23, 2015) Scott Kelly—NASA  "Was asked what I write down on this small kneeboard. Mostly hardware serial numbers and #ISS locations. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 28, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "I wonder what they do here. #NorthAfrica #YearInSpace" - via Twitter April 27, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Looks serene from @Space\_Station, but my thoughts are still with the people affected by the #NepalEarthquake." - via Twitter on April 26, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "#Movie night in micro #Gravity aboard #ISS on our new HD projector which we use for conferences, tech software, etc.." - via Twitter on April 25, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "My #bedroom aboard #ISS. All the comforts of #home. Well, most of them. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 24, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "#EarthObservations Window on the world. Studying our planet from the cupola on @space\_station #NoPlaceLikeHome" - via Twitter on April 22, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Blown away by a dust swept #RedSea. Good morning from the @space\_station! #YearInSpace." - via Twitter on April 21, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "#Calcutta area shimmers in the sunlight. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 20, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Africa. I wonder what these desert sands look like up close?#YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 19, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Working on #ISS research today & how micro gravity impacts aging and muscles of the C Elegan roundworm. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 18, 2015 NASA  "Great job @AstroSamantha and @AstroTerry capturing #SpaceX Dragon this morning! #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 17, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "The varied colors of #Madagascar. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 16, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Sometimes the #world seems to shimmer. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 15, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Congrats @SpaceX and @NASA team on a successful launch! Watched with my crewmates aboard #ISS. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 14, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "This #butterfly caught my eye while flying high above the #gulfofmexico. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 13, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Not sure what is going on on this beach in #Mexico but it's a striking image. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 12, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "#Earth is breathtaking. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 11, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Hopefully this is pollen or algae and not something man made. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 10, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Madagascar drains its red mud into the Indian Ocean. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 9, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Looks messy, but it's functional. Our #food table on the @space station. What's for breakfast? #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 8, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "#Patagonia never disappoints. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 7, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "#Australia. You are very beautiful. Thanks for being there to brighten our day. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 6, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Good morning Southern #Florida from the #ISS. #YearInSpace" - via Twitter on April 5, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  "Enjoying Saturday evening dinner with @AstroTerry on the #ISS" - via Twitter on April 4, 2015 NASA  "#FlashbackFriday Got my 1st EMT training at 16\. Emergency medical training on #ISS keeps me 35 years proficient." - via Twitter on April 3, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA  ".@FLOTUS Thank you. Made it! Moving into crew quarters on @space\_station to begin my #yearinspace." - via Twitter on March 30, 2015 Scott Kelly—NASA [_Download TIME’s mobile app for iOS to have your world explained wherever you go_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-mobile/id328218429 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/"},"headline":"Space Junk Forces Space Station Crew to Seek Shelter","datePublished":"2015-07-16T19:19:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:02:26.712Z","description":"The debris was a fragment from an old Russian weather satellite","url":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/","keywords":["Space","international space station","space travel","iss"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71b2bbb0ed2f556e/69885b553c16396338458e09/iss-space-station3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jonathan Woods","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jonathan-d-woods/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt71b2bbb0ed2f556e/69885b553c16396338458e09/iss-space-station3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Space Shuttle Discovery Continues On Its Last Mission","caption":"Space Shuttle Discovery Continues On Its Last Mission","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/space/","name":"Space"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/","name":"Space Junk Forces Space Station Crew to Seek Shelter"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Year in Space - Ep.1: Leaving Home","description":"A Year in Space - Ep.1: Leaving Home","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/6ookw4W2/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2021-03-11T18:13:57.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6ookw4W2.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/","duration":"PT13M31S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Year in Space - Ep.2: Unlikely Allies","description":"A Year in Space - Ep.2: Unlikely Allies","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/BsrUPYjJ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-07-06T18:45:50.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/BsrUPYjJ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/","duration":"PT12M50S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3961500/international-space-station-debris/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```