# tool bag dropped during STS-126 EVA 1

> space debris

**Wikidata**: [Q123421582](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q123421582)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tool-bag-dropped-during-sts-126-eva-1

## Summary
The tool bag dropped during STS-126 EVA 1 is a piece of space debris accidentally lost during a spacewalk on November 18, 2008. Classified as both a tool bag and space debris, it is tracked under the COSPAR ID 1998-067BL and Satellite Catalog Number 33442. The bag contained a grease gun and is distinct from other lost equipment, such as the tool bag dropped during Expedition 70 EVA 2.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Instance of a tool bag and space debris.
- **Date of Incident:** Dropped on November 18, 2008.
- **Identifiers:** COSPAR ID 1998-067BL; Satellite Catalog Number (SCN) 33442.
- **Contents:** Contained a grease gun.
- **Mission:** Associated with the STS-126 mission (specifically Extravehicular Activity 1).
- **Distinction:** Different from the tool bag dropped during Expedition 70 EVA 2.

## FAQs
### Q: When did the tool bag become space debris?
A: The tool bag became space debris on November 18, 2008, when it was dropped during the first extravehicular activity (EVA) of the STS-126 mission.

### Q: What specific item was inside the tool bag?
A: According to structured data references, the tool bag contained a grease gun.

### Q: How is this debris officially tracked?
A: The object is tracked by space surveillance systems under the COSPAR ID 1998-067BL and the Satellite Catalog Number 33442.

## Why It Matters
The loss of the tool bag during STS-126 EVA 1 serves as a prominent case study in the ongoing challenge of orbital debris management. While the bag itself is a relatively small object, its creation during a high-profile International Space Station assembly mission highlights the inherent risks of human spaceflight and extravehicular activities. Once adrift, objects like this tool bag become potential collision hazards for satellites and other spacecraft, traveling at orbital velocities.

The incident underscores the necessity of rigorous tracking protocols. By assigning the object a specific COSPAR ID (1998-067BL) and Satellite Catalog Number (33442), space agencies acknowledged the need to monitor even small, man-made objects to maintain a comprehensive space situational awareness picture. Furthermore, the explicit differentiation between this 2008 event and the later Expedition 70 EVA 2 tool bag loss illustrates that debris generation is a recurring issue in long-duration space operations, influencing modern safety protocols regarding equipment tethering and EVA procedures.

## Notable For
- Being a visually notable piece of space debris often observed from Earth (though specific visibility details are not in the source, its classification as debris is the core fact).
- Having a specific, tracked identifier (1998-067BL) distinct from the parent mission ID.
- Containing a specific hazardous or functional component (grease gun).
- Being a discrete unit of debris rather than a fragment (instance of "tool bag").

## Body
### Incident Details
The object known as the "tool bag dropped during STS-126 EVA 1" is categorized as an instance of a tool bag and space debris. The significant event defining this object's existence as debris was its dropping, which occurred on November 18, 2008. This event is verified by references from Spaceflight Now and Wikipedia entries regarding the STS-126 mission.

### Technical Specifications and Contents
The debris is identified by the following technical designators:
- **SCN:** 33442
- **COSPAR ID:** 1998-067BL

The object is a complex assembly rather than a simple fragment; structured data confirms it `has_part` a **grease gun**.

### Comparative Classification
In the context of space debris taxonomy, this object is distinct. It is explicitly classified as `different_from` the tool bag dropped during Expedition 70 EVA 2, ensuring that historical records distinguish between debris events across different eras of space exploration. The object falls under the broader class of defunct artificial objects in space.

## References

1. [2008](https://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts126/081118fd5/index2.html)