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Huge Tumbling Satellite Could Fall to Earth Over US Tonight or Saturday, NASA Says (UPDATED)
Space.com ^ | 9/23/11 | Tariq Malik

Posted on 09/23/2011 10:07:53 AM PDT by Evil Slayer

A huge, dead satellite tumbling to Earth is falling slower than expected, and may now plummet down somewhere over the United States tonight or early Saturday, despite forecasts that it would miss North America entirely, NASA officials now say.

The 6 1/2-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) was expected to fall to Earth sometime this afternoon (Sept. 23), but changes in the school bus-size satellite's motion may push it to early Saturday, according to NASA's latest observations of the spacecraft.

"The satellite's orientation or configuration apparently has changed, and that is now slowing its descent," NASA officials wrote in a morning status update today. "There is a low probability any debris that survives re-entry will land in the United States, but the possibility cannot be discounted because of this changing rate of descent."

NASA expects about 26 large pieces of the UARS spacecraft to survive re-entry through Earth's atmosphere and reach the planet's surface. The biggest piece should weigh about 300 pounds. The spacecraft is the largest NASA satellite to fall from space uncontrolled since 1979.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: deadsatellite; nasa; reentry; satellite; uars
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To: Evil Slayer

“Huge Tumbling Satellite” - stinkin’ gymnast satellite of death. “I give it a 9.7. It didn’t quite stick the finish and I thought the Russian satellite was better.”


101 posted on 09/23/2011 1:35:51 PM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: mountn man
So whats the pay out if I bet $1000 that it won't hit me???

LOL! I'll bet the payout's similar to a push at a blackjack table at Winstar Casino in OK: you don't win, but you still lose, because you have to pay the dealer $1 per hand (or so I've heard).

102 posted on 09/23/2011 1:47:23 PM PDT by Night Hides Not (My dream ticket for 2012 is John Galt & Dagny Taggart!)
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To: Evil Slayer
Gravity. It's not just a good idea. It's the law.


103 posted on 09/23/2011 2:02:23 PM PDT by southernnorthcarolina ("Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own." -- Aesop)
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To: Night Hides Not

There’s a twitter feed for the UARS now. They say four more orbits,so look up San Diego or offshore Oregon!

http://twitter.com/#!/UARS_Reentry


104 posted on 09/23/2011 2:03:11 PM PDT by M_Man
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To: Evil Slayer

Bookmark


105 posted on 09/23/2011 2:06:38 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: Myrddin

The impact is suppose to effect 500 miles.What 500 miles will this be? Is it still off CA coast barely?


106 posted on 09/23/2011 2:14:41 PM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (PDS=someone that doesnt dream dates up of a Palin announcement;nor act as Palins campaign manager)
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To: Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!

One could always hope it lands on the U.N. Lots of targets in there right now.


107 posted on 09/23/2011 2:18:19 PM PDT by flaglady47 (When the gov't fears the people, liberty; When the people fear the gov't, tyranny.)
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To: SaraJohnson

They really can’t just blow it up. The junk left in space would take out every other satellite that came along.


108 posted on 09/23/2011 2:19:47 PM PDT by Attman
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To: southernnorthcarolina
Love that pic. I'm keeping a copy.
It's perfect for one of my favorite sayings,
"Gravity is a law, not a suggestion."
109 posted on 09/23/2011 2:19:57 PM PDT by RightField (one of the obstreperous citizens insisting on incorrect thinking - C. Krauthamer)
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To: P-Marlowe

What’s the estimated impact speed, anybody know?


110 posted on 09/23/2011 2:21:28 PM PDT by txhurl (Did you want to talk or fish? Or feed the fish?)
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To: Attman

They could have done it as it was coming down. They did not want to spend the money on it. Life is cheap.


111 posted on 09/23/2011 2:23:02 PM PDT by SaraJohnson
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To: txhurl

watch the video here. It may still be unclear speed of broken pieces at impact.

http://www.space.com/13062-falling-nasa-satellite-reentry-united-states.html


112 posted on 09/23/2011 2:25:50 PM PDT by Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid! (PDS=someone that doesnt dream dates up of a Palin announcement;nor act as Palins campaign manager)
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To: J. Worthington

Meteor shower?


113 posted on 09/23/2011 2:26:04 PM PDT by Stonewall Jackson (Democrats: "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.")
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To: Evil Slayer

I dunno, to ME, it seems like a TARGET for one of our ASAT weapons....


114 posted on 09/23/2011 2:32:50 PM PDT by Lazamataz
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To: M_Man
This one seems to have a more up to date feed: https://sites.google.com/site/uarsreentry/
115 posted on 09/23/2011 2:35:18 PM PDT by Paradox (Democrats on Obama, They can't deny him, He is them.)
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To: Evil Slayer

116 posted on 09/23/2011 2:43:41 PM PDT by Talisker (History will show the Illuminati won the ultimate Darwin Award.)
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To: txhurl

The big 330lb chunk about 130MPH,the small bits up to 240MPH. It looks to be headed for the Pacific off the Oregon coast.

7:55PM-8:25PM PDT should be a light show over Oregon. Hard Hats suggested


117 posted on 09/23/2011 3:02:29 PM PDT by M_Man
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To: Paradox

They’ve removed the Re-entry clock gadget from that site now.


118 posted on 09/23/2011 3:06:09 PM PDT by M_Man
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To: M_Man

Do you have any verification of that or is it just something you heard?


119 posted on 09/23/2011 3:07:43 PM PDT by djf (Buncha sheep: A flock.. Buncha cows: A herd.. Buncha fish: A school.. Buncha baboons: A Congress..)
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To: M_Man

@UARS_Reentry says Washington State, not Oregon. Still in the Pacific, thankfully!


120 posted on 09/23/2011 3:08:16 PM PDT by M_Man
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