Posted on 09/20/2011 8:22:29 AM PDT by Evil Slayer
(Reuters) - A defunct NASA science satellite is expected to fall back to Earth on Friday, showering debris somewhere on the planet although scientists cannot predict exactly where, officials said.
The 6.5-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, was carried into orbit during a space shuttle mission in 1991. It operated for 14 years,collecting measurements of ozone and other chemicals in the atmosphere.
Since completing its mission in 2005, UARS has been slowly losing altitude, tugged by Earth's gravity. On Friday, the 35-foot-long, 15-foot diameter (10.6-metres long, 4.5-metres diameter) satellite is expected to plunge into the atmosphere, NASA reported on its website.
While most of the spacecraft will be incinerated, scientists expect up to 26 pieces, with a combined mass of about 1,100 pounds (500 kg) to survive the fiery re-entry and fall down somewhere on Earth.
The satellite's orbit passes over most of the planet, from as far north as northern Canada to the southern part of South America.
NASA said the chance a piece of UARS debris will strike a person is about one in 3,200. The debris will mostly likely fall into an ocean or land in an uninhabited region of Earth.
Satellites as large as UARS re-enter Earth's atmosphere about once a year.
NASA said there have been no reports of any deaths or injuries to people from falling debris.
The largest chunk of wreckage from UARS is expected to be about 331 pounds (151 kg), says Nicholas Johnson, chief scientist of NASA's Orbital Debris Program office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
What goes up must come down............somewhere.........
Be funny if it crashed into Mecca.
“Ven der rockets go up, who cares vere dey comen down, das not mine department!”, says Werner Von Braun!
So.....we're overdue!
Actually, while the Earth's Gravity is what is pulling on it, the reason it is coming down is because in the low earth orbit it was placed in, there is still enough atmosphere to exert a slight drag on it, slowing it down little by little, thus lowering its orbit, until it reaches the upper levels of the "real" atmosphere, where the friction and drag will go up by several orders of magnitude. Then the FUN begins!
Everyone’s forgetting about the 800 lb piece of wreckage in the room.
Worst of all, its fuel source is weapons grade plutonium. GI Jane will have to retrieve it.
one in 3200... I have a better chance of getting hit by a falling satellite then I have winning the lottery.
“The satellite’s orbit passes over most of the planet, from as far north as northern Canada to the southern part of South America.”
Don’t most satellites pass over most of the planet?
“Be funny if it crashed into Mecca.”
Be just God’s way of saying happy Rosh Hashana (Thursday and/or Friday according to my handy interfaith calendar).
Happy new year to all, I suppose.
Awh man, what now?
I was just on the phone to a guy in Piedmont, Arizona when the line went dead.
The geostationary ones don’t, but otherwise this is a bit of an redundant statement, agreed.
LOL, LOL, a thousand times LOL. Hysterical!
Maybe it will hit the White House.
That's pretty much the best chance the Dems have in 2012, right there.
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