Posted: Sun, Feb 8, 2004, 1:25 PM ET (1825 GMT)
An unidentified object floated away from the International Space Station last week but should not pose a risk to the station, according to a report by an Orlando TV station. WFTV reported late Friday that astronaut Michael Foale saw the debris, 15 to 20 centimeters long, floating away from the station shortly after a Progress spacecraft docked with the facility on January 31 and test-fired its thrusters. The identity of the debris is unknown — officials told the TV station that it could have been anything from a cloud of propellant to a Velcro strap — but is likely neither vital to the station nor expected to pose a collision risk. Last year the ISS crew noticed a small object floating away from the station, which was later identified as a cable tag.

Related Links:

•  WFTV Orlando article