Fwd: Air Force: DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 involved in “debris causing event”

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From: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Date: July 20, 2016 at 10:17:36 AM CDT
To: "Gary Johnson" <gjohnson144@comcast.net>
Subject: FW: Air Force: DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 involved in "debris causing event"

 

U.S. Air Force: DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 involved in "debris causing event"

by Mike Gruss — July 19, 2016

Artist's concept of DigitalGlobe's Worldview-2 satellite. Credit: Ball Aerospace

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force said one of DigitalGlobe's high-resolution imagery satellites was part of what they described as a debris-causing event July 19, but the company said that the satellite remains operational.

The Joint Space Operations Center, which is the Defense Department's nerve center for space operations and tracks space objects from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, tweeted July 19 that it had identified a debris-causing event related DigitalGlobe's WorldView-2 satellite.

 

19 Jul: JSpOC ID'd debris causing event related to @DigitalGlobe WorldView-2; 8 debris pieces but WV2 confirmed operational &
maneuverable!

— JSpOC (@JointSpaceOps) July 19, 2016

As a result, the JSpOC is tracking eight pieces of debris related to the incident. An estimated time of the event was not immediately available.

"Earlier today JSPOC issued a 'debris causing event' notification related to DigitalGlobe's Worldview-2 satellite," the Longmont, Colorado-based company tweeted. "WorldView-2 is currently operational and is performing standard maneuvering and imaging tasks."

 

[1 of 2] Earlier today JSPOC issued a "debris causing event" notification related to DigitalGlobe's Worldview-2 satellite.

— DigitalGlobe (@DigitalGlobe) July 19, 2016

[2 of 2] WorldView-2 is currently operational and is performing standard maneuvering and imaging tasks.

— DigitalGlobe (@DigitalGlobe) July 19, 2016

As if to underscore the satellite's health, the company tweeted an image of downtown Oakland, California from the satellite taken this afternoon.

 

@SpaceNews_Inc hot off the presses: WorldView-2 image of downtown Oakland captured 3-1/2 hours ago! pic.twitter.com/GoHMBTW7le

— DigitalGlobe (@DigitalGlobe) July 20, 2016

Air Force Capt. Nicholas Mercurio, a spokesman for U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space and the 14^th Air Force, said DigitalGlobe is conducting an investigation into what happened.

WorldView-2 prior to its 2009 launch.

 © 2016 SpaceNews, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

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