ISS to perform manoeuvre to avoid collision with Italian communication satellite

On Friday the international space station will perform a slight manoeuvre to avoid a collision with the Italian "MegSat 0" communication satellite weighing 30 kilograms, the Mission Control Centre has informed RIA Novosti.

"The participants of the current meeting are making a decision to change parameters of the station's orbit, which will allow to avoid the risk of collision," the Centre stated. "The correction will allow the Italian satellite to pass beyond the station's so-called "security zone" estimated at about 50 km х 50 km х 4 km.

The Italian "MegSat 0" communication satellite was launched on April 28th 1999. Raising of the station's orbit will become the sixth manoeuvre caused by a space object's close passing since the beginning of the station's construction /in 1998/, the Centre reported.