6 Questions About NASA’s Falling Satellite
If the UARS satellite orbit continues to decay as expected, it will likely reenter somewhere along the tracks depicted on this graphic on Friday (click image to enlarge):
It looks like North America will be spared, and I predict it will splash down harmlessly in the ocean.
UPDATE: It looks like the orbit is decaying slower than expected, likely due to a change in the orientation of the satellite, and it will reenter late Friday or Saturday. That puts North America in the possible target zone.
THE LATEST from NASA: "NASA’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. EDT Sept. 24. The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California said the satellite entered the atmosphere over the North Pacific Ocean, off the west coast of the United States. The precise re-entry time and location of any debris impacts are still being determined. NASA is not aware of any reports of injury or property damage."
FINAL UPDATE: Big splash.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
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You've been lucky with your predictions so far!
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