article_snippet: While various satellites orbiting our planet might look close together, the amount of space in Earth orbit is vast, and there is little to no chance of any colliding.
article_snippet: In fact, they are all placed on specific orbits within they orbital bands that ensure the minimal chance possible of colliding with another satellite.
article_snippet: In 2009, a US Iridium satellite and a defunct Russian Cosmos satellite collided, creating hundreds of new pieces of debris in orbit.
article_snippet: But the precision of modern satellites is best seen by a quartet of satellites known as the ‘A-train’ - Aqua, Aura, CloudSat and Calipso - which follow each other closely in the precision of modern satellites is best seen by a quartet of satellites known as the ‘A-train’ - Aqua, Aura, CloudSat and Calipso - which follow each other closely in their orbits orbits.
article_snippet: The two closest, CloudSat and Calipso, are just 12.5 seconds apart, but this equates to 58 miles (93km) in distance.
article_snippet: It’s acting like one satellite with 15 instruments onboard,’ Ernie Wright, an animator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, told Wired, referring to the 15 instruments shared between the precision of modern satellites is best seen by a quartet of satellites known as the ‘A-train’ - Aqua, Aura, CloudSat and Calipso - which follow each other closely in their orbits.