23.09.2020

Nasa says astronauts sheltered in the Soyuz spacecraft so they could evacuate if necessary during the ‘avoidance manoeuvre’

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station were carrying out an “avoidance manoeuvre” on Tuesday to ensure the station would not be hit by a piece of debris, the US space agency Nasa announced.

The debris should pass within “several kilometres” of the International Space Station (ISS), but out of an abundance of caution, its trajectory was being changed to move it further away from the object.

The three crew members – two Russians and an American – relocated to their Soyuz spacecraft as the manoeuvre began so they could evacuate if necessary, Nasa said.