Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Today in History: Iridium 33 and Kosmos 2251 collide in space

2/10/2026

42 6

Summary

Story summary

On February 10, 2009, the active Iridium 33 satellite collided with the defunct Russian satellite Kosmos 2251 at a speed of 11.7 km/s (26,000 mph) above Siberia. This incident marked the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites in low Earth orbit, raising concerns about space debris and satellite safety.

1 of 1

Story summary

On February 10, 2009, the active Iridium 33 satellite collided with the defunct Russian satellite Kosmos 2251 at a speed of 11.7 km/s (26,000 mph) above Siberia. This incident marked the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites in low Earth orbit, raising concerns about space debris and satellite safety.