To err is human, and astronauts are no exception. On November 2, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara were working on the International Space Station’s (ISS) solar panels when they unintentionally dropped a tool bag. Last observed by @Astro_Satoshi while floating over Mount Fuji, the ‘Orbital Police’ can confirm that the lost EVA gear is being tracked.— Dr. Meganne Christian (@astro_meganne) November 5, 2023. It is now orbiting Earth, and some skywatchers may be able to see it using binoculars at roughly magnitude +6.
The tool bag is planned to orbit Earth for a few months before continuing to descend to 70 miles
One tool bag was unexpectedly lost when spacewalkers were repairing the solar panel unit. The bag was later discovered using exterior station cameras. Fortunately, the tool bag was no longer needed for the repair. NASA experts later projected the bag’s trajectory and found that it presented no threat to the ISS or its crew. The tool bag is planned to orbit Earth for a few months before continuing to descend to 70 miles (113 kilometers). Once there, it will begin to dissolve in the Earth’s atmosphere. Those who can view the ISS may also see the tool bag, which is unusually bright for its size and is hovering near the space station.
For the next two weeks, they should use binoculars to monitor the sky immediately ahead of the space station. The little object should appear a few seconds ahead of the ISS as it steadily loses height. Interestingly, on November 18, 2008, astronauts lost an identical repair kit during an outside-the-ISS procedure. Even months later, it was visible from Earth, just ahead of the ISS. There have been previous losses of astronauts’ belongings to the junkyard of near-Earth orbit.