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Huge Tumbling Satellite Could Fall to Earth Over US Tonight or Saturday, NASA Says (UPDATED)
Space.com ^ | 9/23/11 | Tariq Malik

Posted on 09/23/2011 10:07:53 AM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: deadsatellite; nasa; reentry; satellite; uars
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To: Campion

and unless the republicans raise taxes on the rich, there are another 153 satellites that are going to fall on us.


501 posted on 09/23/2011 10:06:49 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: Jack Hydrazine

If it was lit up over Minnesota, I don’t imagine it would last too much longer after that.


502 posted on 09/23/2011 10:07:01 PM PDT by WSGilcrest (/s)
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To: Straight Vermonter

I understand, I just get wild about this. My name is on one of those Iridiums.


503 posted on 09/23/2011 10:08:26 PM PDT by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west)?)
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To: WSGilcrest

That was on the previous pass.


504 posted on 09/23/2011 10:08:34 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: RaceBannon

Where are you seeing that? The two sites I am watching have it past South Africa headed toward Antarctica.


505 posted on 09/23/2011 10:09:16 PM PDT by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: LucyT

Looks like an Iridium flare picture. I’ve taken a few.


506 posted on 09/23/2011 10:09:19 PM PDT by WSGilcrest (/s)
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To: bd476
It’s still overhead or at least a large portion of it is now flying over the Southwest Indian Ocean, according to the News.

News, as in something written by a journalist? Good luck with that, haha.

507 posted on 09/23/2011 10:09:24 PM PDT by xjcsa (Ridiculing the ridiculous since the day I was born.)
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To: FourPeas

May the Schwartz be with you.


508 posted on 09/23/2011 10:10:04 PM PDT by 21twelve (Obama Recreating the New Deal: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts)
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To: RaceBannon

Oops, just realized that was an old comment.


509 posted on 09/23/2011 10:10:23 PM PDT by Straight Vermonter (Posting from deep behind the Maple Curtain)
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To: Straight Vermonter
Where are you seeing that? The two sites I am watching have it past South Africa headed toward Antarctica.

Dude, you're replying to a message from two hours ago. This thing orbits the entire planet every 90 minutes. Plus it sounds like it's actually already down in northern Canada.

510 posted on 09/23/2011 10:11:03 PM PDT by xjcsa (Ridiculing the ridiculous since the day I was born.)
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To: WSGilcrest

I agree. I saw a Russian satelite fall back in August of 1969 and a meteor the size of a basketball over head a few years ago and both were spectacular, not like fireworks.


511 posted on 09/23/2011 10:11:25 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono (My greatest fear is that when I'm gone my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them)
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To: Straight Vermonter

You’re probably seeing an animation of the predicted track as if it wasn’t hitting atmosphere.


512 posted on 09/23/2011 10:11:35 PM PDT by Tellurian (0bama's allegience is to his father's dreams)
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To: Straight Vermonter
Oops, just realized that was an old comment.

And you beat me to pointing it out :)

513 posted on 09/23/2011 10:12:06 PM PDT by xjcsa (Ridiculing the ridiculous since the day I was born.)
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To: Straight Vermonter

The sites are merely a graph telling us where the satellite should be if its in orbit based on periodically updated coordinates. They are models.


514 posted on 09/23/2011 10:12:30 PM PDT by Raycpa
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To: Straight Vermonter
NASA site shows it still moving but the remarks say it will be moving until confirmed down by SAC...wonder why the delay? parts falling off ?
515 posted on 09/23/2011 10:13:05 PM PDT by 3D-JOY
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To: Inyo-Mono

You up near Mono Lake?


516 posted on 09/23/2011 10:14:14 PM PDT by WSGilcrest (/s)
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To: WSGilcrest
Looks like an Iridium flare picture. I’ve taken a few.

Could be that, or it could be UARS still lit by sunlight, if it was taken shortly after sunset.

517 posted on 09/23/2011 10:14:14 PM PDT by xjcsa (Ridiculing the ridiculous since the day I was born.)
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To: xjcsa

Ha ha. ;)

What are you talking about now?


518 posted on 09/23/2011 10:14:31 PM PDT by bd476
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To: 3D-JOY

I think it is still up three


519 posted on 09/23/2011 10:16:12 PM PDT by jpsb
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To: bd476
What are you talking about now?

Just saying this, like most of life, is a bit too complex to be understood by your typical journalist. Bu that's only because journalists are stupid and lazy.

520 posted on 09/23/2011 10:16:30 PM PDT by xjcsa (Ridiculing the ridiculous since the day I was born.)
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