Astronauts take cover as space debris flies by

SIX astronauts were forced to take refuge aboard the International Space Station’s “lifeboat” crafts yesterday, bracing for the threat of a collision with floating space debris, the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, said in a statement.

“A situation arose linked to unidentified ‘space trash’ passing very close to the space station,” Roskosmos said. “The crew was told to take their places aboard the Soyuz spacecraft.”

The space junk missed the vulnerable orbiting station by just 250 metres yesterday as astronauts were prepared to jump ship, RIA Novosti, the Russian state news agency cited an official as saying.