According to a DLR study, as many as 30 individual pieces could survive the fires of re-entry.
The largest single fragment would likely be the telescope's mirror, which is very heat resistant and may weigh as much as 1.7 tons.
Posted on 10/15/2011 2:28:34 AM PDT by LucyT
The ROSAT X-ray observatory, launched in 1990 by NASA and managed for years by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), will return to Earth within the next two weeks. Current best estimates place the re-entry between Oct. 22nd and 24th over an unknown part of Earth.
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According to a DLR study, as many as 30 individual pieces could survive the fires of re-entry. The largest single fragment would likely be the telescope's mirror, which is very heat resistant and may weigh as much as 1.7 tons.
(Excerpt) Read more at spaceweather.com ...
According to a DLR study, as many as 30 individual pieces could survive the fires of re-entry.
The largest single fragment would likely be the telescope's mirror, which is very heat resistant and may weigh as much as 1.7 tons.
I want to see THIS catch.
With tens of thousands of pieces of space junk eventually falling to Earth, sooner or later one will hit a metro area.
Then what? Oh, that’s right, can’t sue the gubmint.
I guess we know all we need to know so we can let it be destroyed...
Track: http://www.n2yo.com/?s=20638
Passes (based on your IP location): http://www.n2yo.com/passes/?s=20638
Not big enough to flatten mecca. *sigh*
Another tracking site: http://heavens-above.com/
The “Holy City” of Qom Iran, or Musudan Village in N.Korea would be good for starters. And maybe the Castro District of San Francisco. etc. etc. etc.
So many targets, so few falling satellites...
Bwahahaha
1.7 tons falling from outer space would hit with a pretty big bang.
Mecca would be messed up....what irony that would be
Sayyyyyy, isn’t it hajj season?
Will ROSAT fall to earth in one big thud, or enter at an angle and skip a few times before coming to a halt?
(Like a stone skipping on water.)
ROSAT DECAY UPDATE: The massive ROSAT X-ray space telescope continues to descend toward Earth. Latest estimates place the re-entry around noon Universal Time on Oct. 23rd.
Uncertainties exceed 10 hours, which makes it impossible to say exactly where ROSAT will re-enter. Many sky watchers are seeing ROSAT in the night sky shining about as brightly as a 1st magnitude star. Check Spaceweather's Satellite Tracker for local flyby times.
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Atlantic Standard Time (AST) = UT - 4 hours
Eastern Standard Time (EST) = UT - 5 hours
Central Standard Time (CST) = UT - 6 hours
Mountain Standard Time (MST) = UT - 7 hours
Pacific Standard Time (PST) = UT - 8 hours
If Daylight Saving Time is in effect in the time zone, you must ADD one hour to the above standard times.
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Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011
ROSAT DECAY UPDATE: The doomed ROSAT X-ray space telescope continues to descend toward Earth.
Multiple experts agree that re-entry should occur on Oct. 23rd, with most favoring the early hours of the day.
With uncertainties exceeding 8 hours, however, it is still impossible to say exactly where ROSAT will disintegrate.
German Aerospace Center, DLR
On Sunday, 23 October 2011, between 1:45 UTC (3:45 CEST) and 2:15 UTC (4:15 CEST) the German ROentgen SATellite ROSAT has re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
There is currently no confirmation if pieces of debris have reached Earth's surface.
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