ISS fires thrusters to avoid collision with satellite

[Makuser]

Well, it seems that not only are the large number of satellites orbiting Earth causing havoc with telescope imaging and research but now this:
https://www.space.com/international-spa ... -satellite

[helicon]

Traffic jams in space!

[seigell]

The ISS flying its Obstacle Course is kind of like Swatting-Away all the Popups and Floating Ads that have INFESTED Space.com these last few years...

[Makuser]

How true Seigell, but they have infested just about everywhere we go nowadays.

[seigell]

That each of these PDAM maneuvers serves to boost the Altitude of the ISS, is in general a Good Thing. And a Needful Thing due to the ISS's constant slight drag as it interacts with the uppermost fringes of Earth's Atmosphere given it's Low Earth Orbit. The Bad News is that these cost Fuel and Wear on the Thrusters and the ISS Structural Framework.

If this were anywhere on Earth except the "Wilds of Space", there would be a concept of "Precedence" where the oldest Satellites occupying an Orbit would have Absolute Priority over late-comers (think Water Rights Laws) such that the Lesser-Precedent Object would be responsible to maneuver to avoid the Higher-Precedent (or bear the Cost to that Higher-Precedent if only the latter has ability to maneuver to avoid an "incident").

If this were the "Wild West", the ISS would be "protected" by a small fleet of "De-orbiter Drones" using the Remote Docking capabilities developed over the decades of ISS Operation to intersect those Lesser-Precedent Satellites which exceed a set "Incursion Threat" level by simply matching Orbital Parameters with the Offending Object and (gently - to the point of not producing any hazardous Space Junk) simply applying enough Thrust to De-Orbit said object.