Satellite Collision Avoidence Methods Questioned

[simonpro]

Stuff on the forum may have been conjecture. If a reputable news agency reported that they didn't have a warning, then I'd assume they didn't

GaryW is correct, Iridium were warned that this pass would be "dangerously close pass", which effectively tells you to move your butt. Normally you just get warnings saying "near pass" or "close pass" which as far as I know everyone ignores.
ESA got a "dangerously close" for a satellite I work with a few months ago and everyone involved instantly went into action. It's not something you hang around with (as you typically only hear a few days to a few hours before it happens). Iirc, we moved the satellite just under half a day after receiving the message. Iridium should have done the same, but for some reason they didn't.
Perhaps whoever got the message didn't have authority to pass it to the right person, or perhaps they just debated it too long. Either way they lost a satellite and created a significant hazard for everyone else.
Poor form, tbh.

 

[Zatnikitelman]

How do we know they didn't perform the maneuver and that's what led to the collision? Would they admit they screwed up in this manner?

 

[garyw]

How do we know they didn't perform the maneuver and that's what led to the collision? Would they admit they screwed up in this manner?

Surely if that was the case they would be screaming about how us.gov gave them incorrect data?

I think this is a matter of Iridium being informed and either doing nothing or being informed but whoever got the data either didn't have the ability to get it to the right people or had so much paperwork to deal with they weren't able to do it in time.

 

[Andy44]

GaryW is correct, Iridium were warned that this pass would be "dangerously close pass"...

Where did you read that?

 

[simonpro]

Where did you read that?

I didn't read it. I know a few people who work for us stratcom and they've been *****ing about it for ages.

(edit) What the hell is this swear filter all about? I feel like I'm a 7 year old school kid again. Time to sit in the naughty box.