It occurs to me, at the reentry speeds envisioned, wouldn't there be a glow like from a meteor? Wouldn't somebody see these things coming down?
Yep. They'd be seen just like a meteorite. But they are moving fast and little could be done to "blunt the impact." Angle entry is near normal. Mach 10, about 6000 MPH, 8800 feet per second. Might have a good 5-10 seconds of visibility.
Radar would see them. Visually they should be easy to spot.
The cost varies from 15 to 30 per lb.
That’s why I asked about the forecast for the Lyriad meteor shower in Iran.
Seems like an earthquake happened in Iran around the time the Lyriad shower was at its peak.
Just a coincidence.
Maybe but you would have to look straight up plus the trajectory would be straight down, perpendicular to the horizon, so you would not see a streak across the sky like when a meteor comes in at an angle.