NASA said in a blog post early on Wednesday that the Russian Cosmos 2221 satellite and the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics Mission (TIMED) spacecraft are being closely observed by the U.S. Department of Defense.
The U.S. space agency stated that while it is anticipated that the spacecraft would miss one another, a collision may produce a substantial amount of debris and that it is still keeping an eye on the matter with the Department of Defense. The distance between the spacecraft was not specified in the statement.
The two satellites, which cannot manoeuvre, are expected to make their closest pass about 1:30 am EST (0630 GMT) on Feb. 28, at an altitude of about 373 miles (600 km), NASA said.
The TIMED mission is studying the influence of the Sun and humans on the Earth’s mesosphere, lower thermosphere and ionosphere.
