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Scientists Narrow Down When China's Falling Space Station Will Burn Up in the Atmosphere
popularmechanics ^
| Mar 20, 2018
| By Avery Thompson
Posted on 03/20/2018 12:50:08 PM PDT by BenLurkin
As the station continues to drop ever lower in its orbit, it becomes easier to predict its reentry date. In early March scientists knew enough to pinpoint the reentry date at somewhere near the end of the month, and now better data has given us an even more accurate estimate: March 31, plus or minus a few days.
But if predicting when Tiangong-1 will come down is hard, predicting where it will reenter is pretty much impossible. The station orbits the Earth several times per day, which means even a few minutes is enough time to bring the station over a completely different part of the planet. In effect, this means we wont know where the station is going to come down even right before it happens.
Fortunately theres almost no chance that any part of the station will reach the ground and even if some parts of the station dont completely burn up in the atmosphere, most of the Earth is ocean. Theres an extremely small chance a single piece of the satellite will ever hit land, let alone you specifically.
However, if Tiangong-1 does enter the atmosphere near you, it will produce a pretty spectacular fireball. It might be worth keeping an eye on the status of the space station over the next few weeks, on the off chance that it comes down over your head. It wont hurt, but it should be a pretty amazing show.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: chicom; falling; spacestation; tiangong1
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1
posted on
03/20/2018 12:50:08 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
To: BenLurkin
Well, the last FR article I saw on this, predicted "Sometime in the next four months" it would hit "The Earth, somewhere".
Hopefully, this article is a bit more specific.
2
posted on
03/20/2018 12:54:24 PM PDT
by
wbill
To: BenLurkin
plus or minus a few days.......................
3
posted on
03/20/2018 12:58:33 PM PDT
by
Red Badger
(The people who call Trump a tyrant are the same people who want the president to confiscate weapons.)
To: BenLurkin
4
posted on
03/20/2018 12:59:02 PM PDT
by
BraveMan
To: BenLurkin
5
posted on
03/20/2018 12:59:30 PM PDT
by
RightGeek
(FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
To: wbill
Al Gore is predicting it will Fall UP, due to Global Warming.....
6
posted on
03/20/2018 1:08:16 PM PDT
by
G Larry
(There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
To: BraveMan
To: BraveMan
According to that, it’s gonna be right over my house!.....................
8
posted on
03/20/2018 1:10:17 PM PDT
by
Red Badger
(The people who call Trump a tyrant are the same people who want the president to confiscate weapons.)
To: Red Badger
Good thing it is not an incoming missile.
9
posted on
03/20/2018 1:11:10 PM PDT
by
Mouton
(The MSM is a clear and present danger to the republic.)
To: BenLurkin
Curious they are so sure it will burn up before hitting the ground. Would those authors feel so confident and comfortable if they knew with certainty that they were in the direct path? Bet not. They then offer reassurance that the earth is mostly water so like gambling, the odds are against it landing on you.
Too bad we have a rain river or whatever they are calling it coming through Reno area this week so we won't see the falling satellite coming.
10
posted on
03/20/2018 1:12:36 PM PDT
by
Reno89519
(Americans Are Dreamers, Too! No to Amnesty, Yes to Catch-and-Deport, and Yes to E-Verify.)
To: Red Badger
Wear safety glasses when you look up!
11
posted on
03/20/2018 1:15:14 PM PDT
by
BraveMan
To: Reno89519
12
posted on
03/20/2018 1:15:48 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: wbill
Last I heard, well, read, that it's more likely to come down in MI, than any place else within its orbit/trajectory.
So, if the average spot is 1/billion, that may mean that MI is 2/billion, leaving billion-2/billion much more likely...
...I think...
To: Calvin Locke
If it lands in Lake Michigan, will it poison the water supply?
To: BenLurkin
Too bad this didn’t happen 8-12 weeks ago, we’d have had a very different winter here in the Reno-Tahoe area. Right now have what is basically our first real snow fall of the year, yet now it is over 50 degrees out.
15
posted on
03/20/2018 1:23:27 PM PDT
by
Reno89519
(Americans Are Dreamers, Too! No to Amnesty, Yes to Catch-and-Deport, and Yes to E-Verify.)
To: BenLurkin
"Theres an extremely small chance a single piece of the satellite will ever hit land, let alone you specifically."Is there a way to increase the chance that a piece of the satellite will fall on a Demonicrat politician or Deep Stater?
To: BenLurkin
17
posted on
03/20/2018 1:25:54 PM PDT
by
southland
( I have faith in the creator Republicans freed the slaves. Heb 13:2 Deplorable...Trump 45)
To: RightGeek
18
posted on
03/20/2018 1:43:45 PM PDT
by
9422WMR
To: BenLurkin
If they can launch a satellite that will rendezvous with Saturn 8 years after launch, they certainly are able to determine when and where this Chinese orbiting toilet will hit.
They're just not saying.
19
posted on
03/20/2018 1:45:58 PM PDT
by
Bloody Sam Roberts
(Perhaps we should care less about who we may offend and care more about who we may inspire.)
To: BenLurkin
Call Airbus ,maybe they can Harpoon it ,LOL
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