During a recent panel debate at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, the Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen shared a nerve-wracking experience from his time at the International Space Station (ISS) with the Danish royal couple, King Frederik and Queen Mary. Andreas Mogensen, along with his colleagues Christer Fuglesang and Marcus Wandt, described a moment when two satellites were dangerously close to colliding just six meters from the space station. “It was just to cross our fingers and hope that nothing happened,” Mogensen said about the tense situation that took place during his six-month stay in space. Fortunately, the two satellites avoided each other, and no harm came to the ISS or its crew.
This incident was shared in front of an attentive audience, including the Danish royal couple, who were clearly engaged in the debate. King Frederik’s eyes were particularly fixed on the stage as Mogensen recounted the frightening experience. Andreas Mogensen safely landed in the sea off the coast of Florida on March 12 after his half-year in space, where he conducted various experiments for researchers and companies. His participation in the panel was part of a visit that focused on Danish-Swedish cooperation in technology and space research, highlighting the importance of international collaboration in the space industry.