How Fast Is ISS Relative Debris?

Space debris hits the ISS at 15,000 m/s relative velocity — 14× the speed of a rifle bullet. A paint fleck can shatter a station window; a 1 cm bolt can disable an entire spacecraft. The ISS faces a 1-in-300 chance of debris collision per year.

Spent rocket bodies and dead satellites form the largest debris items in orbit — there are roughly 36,000 tracked objects above 10 cm and millions of smaller fragments.

• 14× rifle bullet speed
• A paint fleck can shatter a station window