NASA; Debris from Ariane rocket threatens ISS Spacestation

Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts Danny Olivas and Nicole Stott exit the International Space Station's Qwest airlock at the beginning of their spacewalk in this image from NASA TV.

The U.S. space agency is tracking debris from a portion of a European Artiane 5 rocket, that was launched more than three years ago.


The debris could pass close enough to require astronauts to fire thrusters to move the station and shuttle Discovery that is docked there out of the way, NASA officials said at a briefing.

The debris posed no immediate danger to the station or the shuttle, the agency said.

The debris, which is in an oval-shaped orbit that makes it difficult to track, will make its closest approach to the station at 11:06 a.m. EDT (3:06 p.m. GMT) on Friday, NASA said.

The debris will not force NASA to delay the second of three spacewalks planned outside the station on Thursday. NASA might decide to take no action, or could "reboost" the station from its current orbit 220 miles above the Earth after astronauts complete their second space walk, it said