The International Space Station is moving to dodge a piece of space junk just larger than a cricket ball.

Mission Control told astronauts to fire the station’s engines briefly later yesterday to avoid a piece of an old communications satellite.

It is only the 13th time since 1998 that the station has moved because of debris. Debris travels at such high speed in orbit that it could cause a deadly puncture to the space station. The last time the station moved was in September. In June, astronauts had to take shelter in the Soyuz escape capsule as debris flew by.

Nasa said the debris from the private US satellite Iridium was on a path that would have brought it close to the station this afternoon, possibly less than a mile.