Collision in space between U.S. and Russian satellites

On Wednesday a privately owned U.S. communications satellite collided with a defunct Russian satellite.

According to a U.S. military spokesman, this is the first such collision in space, Reuters reported.

The collision involved a spacecraft of privately owned Iridium Satellite LLC and a non-operational Russian communications satellite, said Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Les Kodlick of the U.S. Strategic Command.

The collision occurred at roughly 780 kilometers (485 miles), an altitude used by satellites that monitor weather and carry telephone communications among other things, he said.