CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Space junk threatened the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station on Monday, forcing them to seek shelter in their docked capsules and disrupting their work.The U.S.
Space Command said it was tracking a field of orbiting debris, the apparent result of a satellite breakup. The situation had the debris coming uncomfortably close to the space station on subsequent orbits, and required the astronauts to close and then reopen several compartments, including the European lab, every 1 1/2 hours until bedtime.Mission Control said the heightened threat might continue for another couple days and continue to interrupt the astronauts' science research and other work.