Post by Flying Horse on Sept 16, 2011 19:31:21 GMT -5
NASA satellit UARS nearing Earth 'could land anywhere'
A five ton 20-year-old stallite has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September. NASA says the risk to life from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is just 1 in 3,200. Most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth. However, scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall and debris could rain across an area 360-310 miles wide. Scientists would be able to make more accurate predictions about where it might land until tw0 hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere. The UARS was launched in 1991 by the Discovery space shuttle and was decommissioned in 2005. So be sure to listen for details on its re-entry on the 24th.
A five ton 20-year-old stallite has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September. NASA says the risk to life from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is just 1 in 3,200. Most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth. However, scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall and debris could rain across an area 360-310 miles wide. Scientists would be able to make more accurate predictions about where it might land until tw0 hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere. The UARS was launched in 1991 by the Discovery space shuttle and was decommissioned in 2005. So be sure to listen for details on its re-entry on the 24th.
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Crap, the Name Escapes Me 
