Details Published on Saturday, 22 February 2014 10:16

A satellite which the European Space Agency lost contact with in 2012 could create a similar cloud of space debris which hit the International Space Station in the film 'Gravity'A bus-sized satellite that is lost in space could break up and spark a devastating field of debris similar to that which hit Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in the film Gravity.

The threat comes from the nine-metre wide Envisat satellite which lost contact with Earth in 2012 and now orbits under at an altitude of 491 miles (790km).

Scientists believe there is a chance of collision with other satellites and debris during the 150 years it is expected to remain in space. But bringing the satellite back to Earth may prove too costly.

Each year, scientists believe two objects pass the 18,000lb satellite by within about 200m and other spacecraft have had to move out of Envisats path.

It is possible that a collision with Envisat could lead to a chain reaction effect, known as the Kessler Syndrome, which refers to when a cloud of fast-moving debris causes other collisions.

This is the type of a cloud that hit Bullock and Clooney during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station in the film Gravity.

The fact that Envisat is in a near-polar orbit doesnt help, since its path intersects most satellites orbits nearly at right angles, said Professor George Fraser, Director of the Universitys Space Research Centre.

Imagine driving down the motorway and every so often a large truck cuts right across all four lanes right in front of you.

Physics students at Leicester University claim it could make it difficult for future space missions to pass through the region of Envisats altitude, if the region becomes congested with space debris.

See the original post here:

Could An 18,000lb Lost Satellite Cause A 'Gravity'-Style Disaster?