<Anchor> A lot
of space junk, including satellite debris, is orbiting around the earth at a faster speed than bullets.
Reporter Jung Gu-hee reports.
<Reporter>
This is Arirang 3, which was launched in 2012.
A multi-purpose, practical satellite that uses an optical camera to take pictures of all parts of the Earth at an altitude of 685 km.
However, on the 2nd, the danger of Arirang 3 colliding with space debris was detected.
The National Intelligence Service analyzed data from foreign intelligence agencies and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and analyzed that on December 5, the wreckage of another satellite would be close to Arirang 3 at a distance of 62 meters.
If an external object approaches within 100 m, there is a possibility of a collision.
[National Intelligence Service official: The diameter of the fragment is only 12 cm.
However, the relative speed between Arirang 3 and the satellite debris reaches 14.7 km/sec.
That's more than 10 times the speed of a bullet.
There is a possibility of serious damage to Arirang 3...
.] The Korea
Air Force conducted an emergency evasion maneuver to raise the altitude of Arirang 3 by 150m using the thruster of the satellite.
In 2011, the possibility of a Russian satellite colliding with a Korean clairvoyant was raised.
This evasive maneuver consumes satellite fuel, but the satellite has no way to refuel, so accurate risk prediction is important.
As space debris has increased, in May, an 18-meter-long working robot arm collided with space debris, resulting in a hole in the robot arm.
The National Intelligence Service, which is collecting information in the space security field due to the revision of the National Intelligence Service Act last year, understands that there are about 23,000 artificial space objects over 10 cm orbiting the Earth.
(Video editing: Lee Seung-yeol, screen source: Korea Aerospace Research Institute, ESA European Space Agency, CSA Canada Space Agency)