ESA detonated 200 lithium-ion batteries for satellites. This will determine the consequences of their explosion in orbit.

Today, there are more than 750 thousand objects of space debris in Earth’s orbit with a diameter of more than 1

cm, moving at a speed of more than 28 thousand km/h. These are mainly various remains of rockets or shuttles - ranging from huge upper stages to small bolts and nuts.

To prevent the formation of new trash,which may result from the explosion of satellite batteries, engineers conducted a series of battery tests at the site of the Commission on Alternative Energy and Atomic Energy (CEA) in France.

During testing, scientists simulated short-circuiting batteries to simulate circuit faults, overcharging, overheating and over-discharging.

Experiments have shown that before completionmissions its organizers must disconnect batteries from satellites. Otherwise, a series of explosions may occur, as a result of which parts of damaged vehicles can accelerate to 20 m / s and damage other satellites.

Previously, engineers from the International Centerneuromorphic systems have created the Astrosite space imaging system, which will track space debris in orbit and prevent its collision with satellites.