Huge Tumbling Satellite Could Fall to Earth Over US Tonight or Saturday, NASA Says (UPDATED)

Space.com ^ | 9/23/11 | Tariq Malik

[Evil Slayer]

A huge, dead satellite tumbling to Earth is falling slower than expected, and may now plummet down somewhere over the United States tonight or early Saturday, despite forecasts that it would miss North America entirely, NASA officials now say.

The 6 1/2-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) was expected to fall to Earth sometime this afternoon (Sept. 23), but changes in the school bus-size satellite's motion may push it to early Saturday, according to NASA's latest observations of the spacecraft.

"The satellite's orientation or configuration apparently has changed, and that is now slowing its descent," NASA officials wrote in a morning status update today. "There is a low probability any debris that survives re-entry will land in the United States, but the possibility cannot be discounted because of this changing rate of descent."

NASA expects about 26 large pieces of the UARS spacecraft to survive re-entry through Earth's atmosphere and reach the planet's surface. The biggest piece should weigh about 300 pounds. The spacecraft is the largest NASA satellite to fall from space uncontrolled since 1979.

[txhurl]

Ah, the old ‘bounced off some turbulence’ excuse. mhmm

[mewzilla]

The new season of Fringe starts tonight. Hmmm......

[Larry Lucido]

We need Weekend Update with John Belushi!

[free_life]

Just another conspiracy theory...never going to happen.... totally ridicu

grin.........

[bamahead]

I just hope it doesn't bring any zombies down with it!

[little jeremiah]

I’m in the middle of canning gallons of plums and can’t figure out where to look to see if it’s going to hit my house. Any idea of where they think it’s (or the pieces rather) are going to hit?

[patton]

Pardon my blush, here, but I have no clue what “Fringe” is.

Some sort of rock band?

Not sarcastic at all - never heard of it.

[AGreatPer]

They can’t compensate for bounce since there will be too many items when it breaks up. Just heard that from the guy at the bar going to Penn State (honest).

[Nachoman]

I’m sure we’ll be okay if we assume the crouch position.

[DYngbld]

(1) SSPP structure (AL-2024-T8) 348 pounds impacting at 99 miles per hour

AL-2024 = Aluminum. That is one heck of a beer can.

[patton]

Heh. heheheh.

[Larry Lucido]

So then you’d have double or triple the amount of junk falling? Yeah good plan. :)

[mewzilla]

Sci fi show on FOX. I like it :-)

[Liberty Valance]

I'm reminded of one of my favorite shows ...

Northern Exposure

Summary: The infamous O'Connell curse seems to have claimed another victim when a falling satellite hits Rick. The funeral scene was hilarious with antenna sticking out all over the coffin.

[mewzilla]

All I know is that the eggheads don’t know. Figgers.

[mewzilla]

Anyone else thinking Andromeda Strain....

Got squeeze?

[Wiggins]

I should of made one of these for this satellite.

[free_life]

View from above orbital plane, view from above satellite and Ground track. Click refresh in browser for latest tracks.

http://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=21701&lat=46.877&lng=-96.789&loc=Fargo&alt=274&tz=CST

[ThomasThomas]

No free tacos?

[Wiggins]

This satellite will probably injure or kill more people when it crashes to Earth than the so called depletion of the Ozone layer it was launched to study.