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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 won’t know where the station is going to come down even right before it happens.

Fortunately there’s almost no chance that any part of the station will reach the ground and even if some parts of the station don’t completely burn up in the atmosphere, most of the Earth is ocean. There’s 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 won’t 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
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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
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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.)
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To: BenLurkin
http://www.satview.org/?sat_id=37820U
4 posted on 03/20/2018 12:59:02 PM PDT by BraveMan
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To: BenLurkin

5 posted on 03/20/2018 12:59:30 PM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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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)
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To: BraveMan

Thanks!

Bookmarked.


7 posted on 03/20/2018 1:10:12 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo (MAGA/KAG!!!)
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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.)
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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.)
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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.)
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To: Red Badger

Wear safety glasses when you look up!


11 posted on 03/20/2018 1:15:14 PM PDT by BraveMan
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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.)
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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...

13 posted on 03/20/2018 1:16:41 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: Calvin Locke

If it lands in Lake Michigan, will it poison the water supply?


14 posted on 03/20/2018 1:22:40 PM PDT by stars & stripes forever (Blessed is the nation whose GOD is the LORD. Psalm 33:12)
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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.)
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To: BenLurkin
"There’s 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?

16 posted on 03/20/2018 1:24:02 PM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: BenLurkin

Bookmark


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)
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To: RightGeek

Donnie Darko?


18 posted on 03/20/2018 1:43:45 PM PDT by 9422WMR
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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.)
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To: BenLurkin

Call Airbus ,maybe they can Harpoon it ,LOL


20 posted on 03/20/2018 1:48:02 PM PDT by butlerweave
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