Posted on 09/22/2011 10:32:06 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
The US space agency (Nasa) says that its out-of-control climate satellite is expected to crash to Earth sometime on Friday evening (GMT).
There is still much uncertainty over when and where the satellite will re-enter the atmosphere.
Experts say they will get a more precise idea in the last 12 hours before the satellite is due to return.
The US space agency says the risk to life from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is 1 in 3,200.
Satellite and space expert Dr Stuart Eves stressed the large uncertainties involved in tracking the "decay" of satellite orbits (their slow fall back into the Earth's atmosphere).
Using the most recent determination of UARS' orbit - taken in the early hours of this morning - Dr Eves and a colleague have come up with their own projections of the satellite's final descent. But he explained that a spacecraft's orbit lifetime could only be estimated to about 10% accuracy.
This translates to a six-hour window either side of the expected decay which, based on a range of probabilities, would see the spacecraft splash down in the Southern Ocean.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Good luck! Keep your head up and butt down Friday evening late is my best guess .. could be a close one brewin' out there for someone.. Here's to a good light show..
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html
UARS Updates
Update #8
Thu, 22 Sep 2011 04:44:51 AM PDT
As of 7 a.m. EDT Sept. 22, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 115 mi by 120 mi (185 km by 195 km). Re-entry is expected sometime during the afternoon of Sept. 23, Eastern Daylight Time. The satellite will not be passing over North America during that time period. It is still too early to predict the time and location of re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become more refined in the next 24 to 36 hours.
You would think they would have enough sense to steer it into the ocean
Do they have NO control over it at all?
Nope,, sounds like it’s a dead bird..
17,000 miles per hour isn't exactly slow...........
“Out-Of-Control Climate Satelite About To Crash to Earth!”
The allegories just write themselves.....
That is correct.
As I understand there’s a 1 in 21 TRILLION chance of it hitting Flo from the Progressive insurance commercials.
(facts are good)
Source: UARS Orbit Data
One in 3200?
But there are about 6.4 billion people on Earth...
THE SATELLITE IS GONNA KILL 2,000,000 PEOPLE!!!!
NASA scientists/engineers/mooooooslem outreach-ers:
“We are 99.98% sure that it will crash within the next 100 years.”
How’s that?
I bet 200 Quatloo on Port Saint Lucy ...
I think not. That's why they are reffering to it as an out of control satellite.
Just download the 80's song from DEVO entitled "Space Junk" and you will understand everything. It might hit Africa, Venezuela, Texas, Kansas, Peru too!
Space.com thread posted earlier
Falling NASA Satellite Could Spark Stunning Light Show
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2782160/posts
What’s the spread on which crashes first: the satellite or the stock market?
Where is the “Southern Ocean”?
That is because each rotation moves it a little farther along the earth.
That orbital track would be good IF the Earth didn’t rotate.
It does.
The UARS track also has FIVE instances where it will pas over the US. All of them occur early tomorrow morning. Since NASA says it’s coming down in the afternoon (they THINK), the orbital tracks will be mostly over the Pacific...BUT a couple of the afternoon tracks also take them over densely-populated parts of Europe.
I’d be willing to be some folks at NASA are finding religion right about now, PRAYING the thing doesn’t fall in Europe.
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