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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The U.S. State Department has blamed a Russian weapons test for creating dangerous conditions for astronauts onboard the International Space Station.

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The storm of debris forced the seven astronauts onboard the ISS to take cover inside, and required them to open and close several compartments every 90 minutes, the Associated Press reported.

In a statement on Twitter, the U.S. State Department spokesperson said “Earlier today, the Russian Federation recklessly conducted a destructive satellite test of a direct ascent and anti-satellite missile against one of its own satellites. The test has so far generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris that now threaten the interests of all nations”.

There are currently four Americans, two Russians, and one German onboard the ISS. Four of the astronauts arrived on board the International Space Station Thursday as part of the Crew-3 mission.

SpaceX And NASA Launch SpaceX's Crew-3 Mission To The International Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft lifts off with four astronauts on board from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on November 10, 2021 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.