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Nasa refines satellite crash time ('out-of-control' climate satellite crash Pool anyone?)
BBC.co.uk ^
| 9/22/11
| Paul Rincon - BBC News
Posted on 09/22/2011 10:32:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
The US space agency (Nasa) says that its out-of-control climate satellite is expected to crash to Earth sometime on Friday evening (GMT).
There is still much uncertainty over when and where the satellite will re-enter the atmosphere.
Experts say they will get a more precise idea in the last 12 hours before the satellite is due to return.
The US space agency says the risk to life from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is 1 in 3,200.
Satellite and space expert Dr Stuart Eves stressed the large uncertainties involved in tracking the "decay" of satellite orbits (their slow fall back into the Earth's atmosphere).
Using the most recent determination of UARS' orbit - taken in the early hours of this morning - Dr Eves and a colleague have come up with their own projections of the satellite's final descent. But he explained that a spacecraft's orbit lifetime could only be estimated to about 10% accuracy.
This translates to a six-hour window either side of the expected decay which, based on a range of probabilities, would see the spacecraft splash down in the Southern Ocean.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
TOPICS: Government; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: nasa; refines; satellite; uars
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To: NormsRevenge
The FR betting pool has this list of potential targets so far.
The White Hut
Mecca
Achmedinjad’s place
Either of Al Gore’s houses
Syria
Feel free to add to the list!
41
posted on
09/22/2011 11:01:35 AM PDT
by
Jack Hydrazine
(It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
To: GOPJ
The Southern Ocean was designated an an official ocean in 2000.
42
posted on
09/22/2011 11:02:23 AM PDT
by
ZGuy
To: NormsRevenge
Experts say they will get a more precise idea in the last 12 hours before the satellite is due to return, and a precise location within 1 hour after it hits.
43
posted on
09/22/2011 11:05:04 AM PDT
by
DManA
To: US_MilitaryRules
Where is the Southern Ocean? Neo-confederate penguins in Antartica seceded and formed their own ocean. It is most well known as the site of Animal Planet's "reality" show Hippies Failling Badly™.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean
Geographers disagree on the Southern Ocean's northern boundary or even its existence, with some considering the waters part of the South Pacific, South Atlantic, and Indian Oceans instead.
44
posted on
09/22/2011 11:08:01 AM PDT
by
KarlInOhio
(Compare "Delay is preferable to error" - Thomas Jefferson // "Pass this bill now!" - Barack Obama)
To: NormsRevenge
Has anyone bid on The Pacific Ocean yet?
To: NormsRevenge
That’s about like drawing four of a kind, isn’t it?
My pick for touchdown is Roswell, NM.
46
posted on
09/22/2011 11:14:12 AM PDT
by
pallis
To: pallis
Looks like N.Korea, S. E. China or may be parts of Siberia have a bullseyes on it!
47
posted on
09/22/2011 11:19:10 AM PDT
by
WellyP
(REAL)
To: ZGuy
Thanks - I had no idea...
48
posted on
09/22/2011 11:25:21 AM PDT
by
GOPJ
(126 people were indicted for being terrorists in the last two years. Every one of them was Muslim.)
To: djf
LOL, you win at statistics!
49
posted on
09/22/2011 11:27:28 AM PDT
by
agere_contra
("Debt is the foundation of destruction" : Sarah Palin.)
To: NormsRevenge
Here are 4 screen captures of the UARS orbit track done on my 'Orbitron' program.
This one is for the orbit starting in Mid-Pacific at 1:30pm Eastern...
50
posted on
09/22/2011 11:43:30 AM PDT
by
hoagy62
("Polls are for strippers and cross-country skiers”~Sarah Louise Palin)
To: NormsRevenge
This is the orbit starting in Mid-Pacific at 3:20pm Eastern...
51
posted on
09/22/2011 11:45:41 AM PDT
by
hoagy62
("Polls are for strippers and cross-country skiers”~Sarah Louise Palin)
To: NormsRevenge
This is the orbit starting Mid-Pacific at 5:05pm Eastern...
52
posted on
09/22/2011 11:47:37 AM PDT
by
hoagy62
("Polls are for strippers and cross-country skiers”~Sarah Louise Palin)
To: hoagy62
A N. Korea hit would be just PERFECT! Odds, Odds?
53
posted on
09/22/2011 11:48:08 AM PDT
by
WellyP
(REAL)
To: NormsRevenge
And here is the orbit track starting Mid-Pacific at 6:45pm Eastern...
These are the tracks for tomorrow afternoon/early evening after noon Eastern time. IF NASA is correct in when they expect it it to come down, it'll be from one of these 4 tracks.
54
posted on
09/22/2011 11:51:13 AM PDT
by
hoagy62
("Polls are for strippers and cross-country skiers”~Sarah Louise Palin)
To: NormsRevenge
Col. Mustard with satellite debris in the South American mountains.
To: Jack Hydrazine
56
posted on
09/22/2011 12:04:15 PM PDT
by
kidd
(S&P gives Obama an 'AA+'...Obama's only published grade)
To: NormsRevenge
Just don't get hit by that darned toilet seat!
57
posted on
09/22/2011 12:15:06 PM PDT
by
OldMissileer
(Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
To: Red Badger
“17,000 miles per hour isn’t exactly slow.”
Kinda like a floater, spiraling around the bowl. Moving quick, but not movin’ down too fast.
Why didn’t we blow it up? Missile shot?
To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
It would create more projectiles that would endanger other satellites and the ISS....................
59
posted on
09/22/2011 12:20:56 PM PDT
by
Red Badger
("Treason doth never prosper.... What's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason.")
To: Lonesome in Massachussets
Thanks for clarifying that for everyone else. What I LEFT OUT in my earlier post was that it would be mostly over the oceans and Russia during the ESTIMATED RE-ENTRY PERIOD.
I realized I had left that out, and was mis-communicating when FR went dead. I just got back on, so I am now responding.
60
posted on
09/22/2011 12:21:05 PM PDT
by
UCANSEE2
(Lame and ill-informed post)
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