2.6-ton International Space Station junk plunging to Earth on Saturday

Interesting Engineering ^ | Mar. 8, 2024 | Mrigakshi Dixit

[fwdude]

This weekend, a massive piece of space debris is set for an uncontrolled return.

In January 2021, nine old batteries were thrown from the International Space Station (ISS). It is reportedly the heaviest piece of ISS trash that will reenter Earth.

This 2.6-metric-ton cargo pallet is now slated to naturally reach the Earth’s atmosphere between March 8 and 9, 2024.

[fwdude]

Uncontrolled. How nice.

[Sacajaweau]

These are huge batteries...they’ll either burn up or blow up...but either way I would imagine any debris would be heavy.

[RedMonqey]

Will they be fined for illegal battery disposal?
If I get caught throwing an old battery in our local landfill id6 get penalized.
So is it rules for thee but not me!

[frank ballenger]

Entirely based on luck whether this will go into the water as nearly all of them do, or not.

For some reason I can no longer locate the historically accurate story that only one unfortunate American in the US was hit on the head and then burned alive when one of the many Japanese fire lanterns fell on him in the 1940s.

---

Different type here:
.
Smithsonian
In 1945, a Japanese Balloon Bomb Killed Six Americans, Five of Them Children, in Oregon
The military kept the true story of their deaths, the only civilians to die at enemy hands on the U.S. mainland, under wraps
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1945-japanese-balloon-bomb-killed-six-americansfive-them-children-oregon

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On January 4, 1945, the U.S. Office of Censorship sent a confidential memo to newspaper editors and radio broadcasters asking that they give no publicity to balloon incidents; this proved highly effective, with the agency sending another memo three months later stating that cooperation had been “excellent” and that “there is no question that your refusal to publish or broadcast information about these balloons has baffled the Japanese, annoyed and hindered them, and has been an important contribution to security.

[HighSierra5]

Hopefully it will slam into Braindeads bedroom while he’s taking a nap.

[lurk]

It’s okay, the batteries are Government batteries, and they have the authority to spread a couple of tons of lead smoke into the atmosphere.

[Gaffer]

What about all the harmful pollutants and chemicals and debris that could disperse into our precious and delicate climate. Whoever made this and allows it to pollute our atmosphere needs to be heavily fined and penalized. /s

[Sequoyah101]

"It is reportedly the heaviest piece of ISS trash that will reenter Earth"

I guess it will pass straight through the atmosphere and then penetrate the mantle and all.

Where do they get these children "writers"?

[Pontiac]

Not that I am not sympathetic but I really don’t want Harris to be president.

Now if both of them were in the same room when the batteries tore through the roof covering them both with hot molten battery, that would be SWEET.

[deport]

Here comes the batteries or what may be left from
them as they enter the earth's astrophere.

[princess leah]

Wouldn’t they simply burn up on entry?

[roadcat]

I read that a pallet fell on some Gazans, injuring them. Maybe this battery pallet can be directed onto Gaza.

[cableguymn]

Unfortunately there are many that fit that description even if limited to elected idiots.

But I think I know who you mean.

['smith]

That would be tragic! It could damage that historic building.

[dforest]

I heard the debris could be falling around the DC area.

Just kidding. If it has to fall....

[xp38]

Ah....let loose I see by the Canada arm. Time for another round of Blame Canada!