This is quite cool. Somewhat surprised it hasn't happened sooner with all the junk we've left floating up there.

A privately owned U.S. communications satellite collided with a defunct Russian satellite in the first such collision in space, a U.S. military spokesman said on Wednesday.

 

The collision, which took place on Tuesday in low-earth orbit, involved a spacecraft of privately owned Iridium Satellite LLC and a "non-operational" Russian communications satellite, said Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Les Kodlick of the U.S. Strategic Command.

 

"We believe it's the first time that two satellites have collided in orbit," he said.

 

The command's Joint Space Operations Center was tracking 500 to 600 new bits of debris, some as small as 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) across, in addition to the 18,000 or so other man-made objects it has catalogued in space, Kodlick said.

 

The collision occurred at roughly 780 kilometers (485 miles), an altitude used by satellites that monitor weather and carry telephone communications among other things, he said.

 

"It's a very important orbit for a lot of satellites," he said.

So we've been doing this for like 50 years and satellites have never collided before? Ever?

So we've been doing this for like 50 years and satellites have never collided before? Ever?

Smaller stuff has hit lots of things, but usually we're pretty good about bringing the big stuff down over the South Pacific. From a different article:

There have been four other cases in which space objects have collided accidentally in orbit, NASA said. But those were considered minor and involved parts of spent rockets or small satellites.

I think the answer to your statement is "Space is pretty big".

Smaller stuff has hit lots of things, but usually we're pretty good about bringing the big stuff down over the South Pacific. From a different article:

 

I think the answer to your statement is "Space is pretty big".

It is, but I just kind of assumed it'd have happened by now. I know space is pretty big, but we (humans) have a whole lot of crap up there too.

So we've been doing this for like 50 years and satellites have never collided before? Ever?

 

China did one on purpose a few years back and pissed off a lot people. I don't remember any real accidents.

China did one on purpose a few years back and pissed off a lot people. I don't remember any real accidents.

 

I remember them shooting one with a rocket to prove their capabilities (take down spy satellites, for instance).

 

lost, satellites are spread out vertically over several hundred kilometers. There's just a massive amount of volume they're orbiting in.

Did I read 18,000 man made objects!? Wow. I'd have taken the under at 6,000

Did I read 18,000 man made objects!? Wow. I'd have taken the under at 6,000

 

Just the one satellite that China blew up added about 1,600 pieces of debris that are being tracked now.

China Satellite Debris

 

So, in that one instant, they added 10% of the debris that is up there.