Out-of-control satellite tumbling back to Earth, expected to miss North America

[News_Editor]

Out-of-control satellite tumbling back to Earth, expected to miss North America

2011-09-22 21:03:42 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Debris from an old out-of-control U.S. satellite is expected to fall somewhere on Earth on Friday afternoon, NASA said, although the debris is expected to miss North America.

NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere on Friday afternoon, almost six years after the end of its productive scientific life. Although the spacecraft will break into pieces during re-entry, not all of it will burn up in the atmosphere.

NASA said the risk to public safety or property is extremely small, but there is nonetheless a small chance debris could impact a populated area. However, since the beginning of the Space Age in the late-1950s, there have been no confirmed reports of an injury resulting from re-entering space objects. Nor is there a record of significant property damage resulting from a satellite re-entry.

As of early Thursday morning, the orbit of UARS was about 115 miles by 120 miles (185 kilometers by 195 kilometers). Re-entry is expected sometime during Friday afternoon. "The satellite will not be passing over North America during that time period," NASA said. "It is still too early to predict the time and location of re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become more refined in the next 24 to 36 hours."

NASA said the satellite's orbit is inclined 57 degrees to the equator, which means surviving components of UARS will land between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south latitude. "It is impossible to pinpoint just where in that zone the debris will land, but NASA estimates the debris footprint will be about 500 miles (804 kilometers) long," the agency said.

Since more than 71 percent of the Earth is covered by water, there is only a small chance the debris will impact land. Nonetheless, NASA urges people who may find UARS debris to not touch it and alert emergency services.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-22

[davehowden]

Well thank heavens its going to miss North America, the rest of us can just get on with it then

[geriatrickid]

Well thank heavens its going to miss North America, the rest of us can just get on with it then

Well, maybe it can land in Russia. It would sort of be a return of the favour to the Russians.

The last big piece of space junk to come back was a toxic Russian satellite that sprayed radioactive waste across northern Canada. Unlike the Americans, the Russians gave no warnings and did not offer to pay for the resultant multi million dollar cleanup.

[Scott]

Any enterprising country could use this falling satellite as an excuse to get even with someone. "Oh, it must have been that satellite."

[Steely Dan]

Any enterprising country could use this falling satellite as an excuse to get even with someone. "Oh, it must have been that satellite."

That could be quite a feat for those who believe in a flat earth.

[Scott]

I can only imagine the fuss it would cause if it lands in Iran or North Korea, for example.

[cloudhopper]

Well thank heavens its going to miss North America, the rest of us can just get on with it then

They really have no clue where the chunks will fall. Latest prediction

- found here - http://reentrynews.aero.org/1991063b.html

is for re-entry around 7am local tomorrow but that's +/- 7 hours.

[mpoppel]

Chilean media reports they expect it to crash along their coast.. but nothing official yet. This graphic from the Washington Post shows where the satellite will most likely re-enter: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/where-will-the-satellite-fall/2011/09/21/gIQA0AeJmK_graphic.html

China said they will know the exact impact area about 2 hours before impact, giving time for evacuations should it be on land.. NASA only says not North America so far.

[koheesti]

Chinese media was also able to report on the successful launch of their manned space mission - before it was even launched.

[harrry]

Well thank heavens its going to miss North America, the rest of us can just get on with it then

They really have no clue where the chunks will fall. Latest prediction

- found here - http://reentrynews.aero.org/1991063b.html

is for re-entry around 7am local tomorrow but that's +/- 7 hours.

when Skylab came down the Yanks managed to give it an extra burst of fuel so it landed in Australia not the US......

[Scott]

snip

China said they will know the exact impact area about 2 hours before impact, giving time for evacuations should it be on land.. NASA only says not North America so far.

Actually, the local monk also probably will make a prediction as to where it will land!

[koheesti]

Well thank heavens its going to miss North America, the rest of us can just get on with it then

They really have no clue where the chunks will fall. Latest prediction

- found here - http://reentrynews.a...g/1991063b.html

is for re-entry around 7am local tomorrow but that's +/- 7 hours.

when Skylab came down the Yanks managed to give it an extra burst of fuel so it landed in Australia not the US......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylab#Re-entry

Ground controllers adjusted Skylab's orientation for ideal re-entry dynamics in the hours before reentry^[14] at approximately 16:37 UTC 11 July 1979. They aimed the station at a spot 810 miles (1,300 km) south southeast of Cape Town, South Africa. The station did not burn up as fast as NASA expected, however. Due to a 4% calculation error, debris landed southeast of Perth, Western Australia,^[2]:371 and was found between Esperance and Rawlinna, from 31° to 34°S and 122° to 126°E. The Shire of Esperance fined the United States A$400 for littering, a fine which remained unpaid for 30 years.^[15] The fine was paid in April 2009, when radio show host Scott Barley of Highway Radio raised the funds from his morning show listeners and paid the fine on behalf of NASA.^[16]

Edited September 23, 2011 by koheesti

[Beetlejuice]

We`re all going to die.

We`re doomed, doomed I tell you.

[Pedzie]

Apparently space junk falls all the time with no human casualties yet, just a matter of time I would say before something causes damage somewhere, lets hope that place is Capitol hill, Washington DC

[Scott]

Congress is on recess in Washington, so let's hope it doesn't land there--at least not this one.

[mca]

As mca out for a leisurely stroll ponders " I wonder why that shadow is getting bigger...?"

[doggie888888]

Well thank heavens its going to miss North America, the rest of us can just get on with it then

They really have no clue where the chunks will fall. Latest prediction

- found here - http://reentrynews.a...g/1991063b.html

is for re-entry around 7am local tomorrow but that's +/- 7 hours.

when Skylab came down the Yanks managed to give it an extra burst of fuel so it landed in Australia not the US......

Some in Australia viewed it as a blessing that the USA deemed us important enough to dump their space junk onto us. Although I have heard the government there issued a fine for littering, although that may well be urban myth!

[webfact]

NASA pinpoints exact location where the UARS satellite will land http://twitpic.com/6pebx5

/RT @mpoppel /RT @ssaig

[Thaddeus]

NASA pinpoints exact location where the UARS satellite will land http://twitpic.com/6pebx5

/RT @mpoppel /RT @ssaig

[mpoppel]

Update from NASA:

As of 10:30 p.m. EDT on Sept. 23, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 85 miles by 90 miles (135 km by 140 km). Re-entry is expected between 11:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and 12:45 a.m., Sept. 24, Eastern Daylight Time (3:45 a.m. to 4:45 a.m. GMT). During that time period, the satellite will be passing over Canada and Africa, as well as vast areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. The risk to public safety is very remote.

[Scott]

//Closed//

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