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

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

[little jeremiah]

I guess I should continue with the plums, then.

[!1776!]

Drag alone is not enough to determine impact speed. Weight is important, too.

Drag alone is enough to determine impact speed. Drag specifically counteracts the accelleration of gravity and in effect sets a limit on speed in a steady state environment. The atmosphere isn't really steady state as it gets more dense (more drag) closer to the surface.

Everything being equal though, aerodynamic drag is the limiting factor for an object falling freely, of which this event is a pretty good case of.

Weight as you note (more accurately density) does play a role as the more dense an object is the less surface area there likely is to create aerodynamic drag resulting in a higher velocity before drag = acceleration of gravity resulting in a higher terminal velocity.

[SF_Redux]

be great if it tagged the meca

[RaceBannon]

I cant believe how much people remember me saying that 10 years ago...I will never live it down!

[Jack Hydrazine]

It’s coming up to the sw shore of Mexico. Any FReepers in Mexico see UARS?

[WSGilcrest]

Look up, Texas!

[Liberty Valance]

I think i just saw it. Weird. fast moving.

[Jim Noble]

Heading for Mecca...

[Carry_Okie]

So then you’d have double or triple the amount of junk falling?

In pieces so tiny they would not survive reentry intact. They would disperse so widely as to be inconsequential.

Yeah good plan. :)

I thought so. It beats letting big chunks fall where they will.

[TN4Liberty]

LOL. A specific whale or just any whale?

My wife was telling me about a conversation with one of her seventh graders about whale poop today (as in, how much is in the ocean). A direct hit would probably increase that amount for a short while.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Looks like it is leaving Canada.

[matthew fuller]

mark for later.

[American in Israel]

I don't want to bet all my money. What happens if I'm wrong? :)

You will never know. Getting beaned at Mach 25 is quick.

[bgill]

I was outside but didn’t see anything. There’s a big tree so maybe it was behind that. Still the people away from the tree didn’t see anything either.

[Textide]

I believe them when they say they don’t know.

[djf]

Any updates on probable impact time?

I don’t get why we can land a man on the moon but not get decent info about this.

[Jack Hydrazine]

From another forum I was reading the UARS satellite predicted re-entry location is for 04:49 GMT (9:49PM PDT) which is over Africa.

[bgill]

Africa? Now we know why Obama pulled the plug on NASA so he could drop that thing on the real bc.

[Liberty Valance]

10-4 on the big trees. I was in the right spot apparently. Went by fast. Still all in one piece ... if that’s what i actually saw. SE to SW looked like it was over San Antonio. I’m in Kerrville.

[patton]

Found it - just nasty. Some dude with really bad vericose veins just pulled his fingernail off.

Gag.