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Roscosmos Confirms Destruction Of Russian Fregat Upper Stage’s Tank In Space

Employees of the Mission Control Center of Russia’s Roscosmos State Corporation in the town of Korolev, Moscow Region, ahead of a live broadcast of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) to head back to Earth. Image courtesy of Mikhail Japaridze/TASS

The TsNIIMash rocket and spacecraft scientific center has confirmed the destruction in the earth’s orbit of tanks of the Russian Fregat-SB upper stage, the press service of Roscosmos space agency told TASS on Sunday, 10 May 2020.

It said the upper stage was used to place into orbit Spektr-P scientific satellite in 2011. Measurement data is being collected, the number and parameters of the orbits of detected fragments is being specified, Roscosmos said.

According to the space corporation, the breakup occurred on May 8 within the time interval of 8:00-9:00 DMT over the Indian Ocean.

The 18th Space Control Squadron of the US reported on Saturday about the breakup of Fregat DEB. There is no indication that it was caused by collision, it said. It tracked 65 associated pieces.

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