A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, U.S. space agencies said.

Russian satellite breaks up in space, forces ISS astronauts to shelter

A space scare occurred when a defunct Russian satellite broke up into more than 100 pieces of debris within its orbit which led to the astronauts taking shelter on the&nbsp;International Space Station for about an hour, stated the US space agencies.

They added that the mass of space junk is already present in orbit. No information was provided on what led to the breaking of the Resurs-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite. This satellite was declared dead by Russia in 2022.

While tracking the swarming debris, US Space Command said that other satellites did not face any other immediate threat.

The satellite blasted at 10 am mountain time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday (June 26), stated Space Command.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-ignored-helium-leak-before-starliner-launch-leaving-astronauts-now-stuck-in-space-734496">NASA ignored helium leak before Starliner launch, leaving astronauts now stuck in space</a>

NASA’s Space Station office said that it happened in an orbit which was close to the space station after US astronauts onboard hid themselves in their spacecraft for nearly an hour, said NASA's Space Station office.&nbsp;

<h2>Is Russia behind the satellite blast?</h2>

The satellite broke at an altitude of nearly 355 km in low-Earth orbit, which is a popular region where thousands of satellites - ranging from small to large - operate.&nbsp;

"Due to the low orbit of this debris cloud, we estimate it’ll be weeks to months before the hazard has passed," said LeoLabs, in a statement to Reuters.

Nearly, 25,000 pieces of debris are bigger by four inches in comparison to others in the space. The formation of debris due to satellite explosions or collisions raised concerns regarding the chances of the Kessler effect.

Kessler effect is a phenomenon in which satellite collisions with debris lead to the formation of a field of more hazardous junk and also increase crash risks.

Watch:&nbsp;Russian satellite breaks up in space, forces ISS astronauts to shelter

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In the nearly 88-minute time frame of RESURS-P1's initial break-up, the Plesetsk site emerged among those locations over which it passed on Earth.&nbsp;However, a lack of maritime alerts or indication from airspace suggested that no missile had been launched by Russia to strike the satellite, said space-tracker and Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell.

"I find it hard to believe they would use such a big satellite as an ASAT target. But, with the Russians these days, who knows," said McDowell.

He, along with other analysts, said that the break-up more likely happened because the satellite encountered a problem, like the leftover fuel onboard leading to an explosion.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A space scare occurred when a defunct Russian satellite broke up into more than 100 pieces of debris within its orbit which led to the astronauts taking shelter on the International Space Station for about an hour, stated the US space agencies.

A space scare occurred when a defunct Russian satellite broke up into more than 100 pieces of debris within its orbit which led to the astronauts taking shelter on the International Space Station for about an hour, stated the US space agencies. They added that the mass of space junk is already present in orbit. No information was provided on what led to the breaking of the Resurs-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite. This satellite was declared dead by Russia in 2022. While tracking the swarming debris, US Space Command said that other satellites did not face any other immediate threat. The satellite blasted at 10 am mountain time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday (June 26), stated Space Command. Also Read: NASA ignored helium leak before Starliner launch, leaving astronauts now stuck in space NASA’s Space Station office said that it happened in an orbit which was close to the space station after US astronauts onboard hid themselves in their spacecraft for nearly an hour, said NASA's Space Station office. Is Russia behind the satellite blast? The satellite broke at an altitude of nearly 355 km in low-Earth orbit, which is a popular region where thousands of satellites - ranging from small to large - operate. "Due to the low orbit of this debris cloud, we estimate it’ll be weeks to months before the hazard has passed," said LeoLabs, in a statement to Reuters. Nearly, 25,000 pieces of debris are bigger by four inches in comparison to others in the space. The formation of debris due to satellite explosions or collisions raised concerns regarding the chances of the Kessler effect. Kessler effect is a phenomenon in which satellite collisions with debris lead to the formation of a field of more hazardous junk and also increase crash risks. Watch: Russian satellite breaks up in space, forces ISS astronauts to shelter In the nearly 88-minute time frame of RESURS-P1's initial break-up, the Plesetsk site emerged among those locations over which it passed on Earth. However, a lack of maritime alerts or indication from airspace suggested that no missile had been launched by Russia to strike the satellite, said space-tracker and Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell. "I find it hard to believe they would use such a big satellite as an ASAT target. But, with the Russians these days, who knows," said McDowell. He, along with other analysts, said that the break-up more likely happened because the satellite encountered a problem, like the leftover fuel onboard leading to an explosion. (With inputs from agencies)

Astronauts hide in space station after defunct Russian satellite breaks into more than 100 pieces

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Russian satellite breaks up in space, forces ISS astronauts to shelter

Astronauts hide in space station after defunct Russian satellite breaks into more than 100 pieces