Dead Satellite Will Fall to Earth By September's End, NASA Says

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   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   Dead Satellite Will Fall to Earth By September's End, NASA Says
   By Clara Moskowitz, SPACE.com Senior Writer
   Space.com | SPACE.com –
   
   A defunct satellite poised to fall back to Earth will make its death plunge during the last week of September, NASA officials now say.
   The spacecraft, an old NASA climate probe called the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), was decommissioned in 2005 and has been slowly losing altitude since. Soon, the 6 1/2-ton satellite will make a final uncontrolled plunge through Earth's atmosphere.
   On Monday (Sept. 12), a NASA update stated that the satellite is now expected to plummet back to Earth during the last week of September. Previous estimates by NASA and the U.S. military, which is monitoring the hefty space junk, suggested the UARS satellite would fall sometime in late September or early October.
   http://news.yahoo.com/dead-satellite-fa … 06284.html
   well everyone watch out for any space junk falling from the sky!

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I have an old catchers mitt. Ebay, here I come!

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         Stacie Lposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         yeah catching a falling piece of space junk may be worth something?:

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            paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I just hope I'm facing the right way...

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This could really turn in to something... 1 in 4 the pieces hit land. 1 in 10 (?) that people are around. 1 in 100 (?): hello town, suburb, or city. That last one is probably closer to 1 in 1000. The bad news is that those kind of odds happen every day.

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   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   My theory is that the US abandoned the space program, which was mostly going to the space station, because of all the space junk that makes the thing no longer safe.

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   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   Oh!

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   lone77starposted 12 years ago

   Wow! At least this space junk is removing itself from orbit. Though the likelihood of it landing in populated areas is slim, the possibility still exists that enough of 6.5 tons will survive re-entry to do some damage. I just hope it doesn't land on anyone's head. NASA has enough budgetary problems without paying damages from a lawsuit or class-action suit.
   
   Should NASA and other space agencies be allowed simply to let space junk fall from the sky? If any such satellite were to cause property damage -- or heaven forbid, kill anyone -- I think the suggestion might be made quite strenuously that space agencies clean up after themselves. Either they should include decommissioning as part of their initial costs (decommissioning funds in an interest-bearing account, perhaps), or they should send satellites into high enough orbit so that orbital decay is never an issue.
   
   I can see NASA and others balking at this idea if lawsuit damages remain lower than the cost of satellite retrieval and decommissioning. It would be sad indeed if they considered human life less important than dollars.
   
   It's starting to look as though the "space age" is off to a bumpier start than we originally anticipated.
   
   Now, if we can just clean up the orbital junk yard!

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   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   Due next Friday, September 23, 2011! All 26 pieces.

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   andromidaposted 12 years ago

   NASA did not say anything about where it will fall.They have the option to take it down to Earth on a guided way.

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      
      Yep, and the President has already given NASA their instructions.
      
      
      
      Actually,  the U.S. Strategic Command kind of disagrees with you.
      
      "We simply will not know where it's going to come down until it comes down," Air Force Maj. Michael Duncan of the U.S. Strategic Command told ABCNews.com last week."

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   Holmes221bposted 12 years ago

   I do hope it falls on my house, as I could use the event to explain the mess.

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      paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Next Friday is going to be a very interesting day. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

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      habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      lol

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   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   Tick... Tick... Tick...

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   Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

   everyone should be calling their insurance agents..
   if health,house and car insurance does't cover this damage, then you're screwed..
   They cannot call this an "Act of God"..

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    andromidaposted 12 years ago

    I recommend all to wear  helmets when going outside.

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    earnestshubposted 12 years ago

    I will take my chances I reckon.

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    paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

    Actually, I'm kind of surprised that we don't have some sort of weapon we could use to just blast the thing to smithereens.

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       recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Nah - they have them to blast countries and anything that might possibly be attacking the white house, but not for a huge hunk of junk falling out of the sky

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          paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Now.

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          paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Odd and now.

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    earnestshubposted 12 years ago

    Doe anyone know how much of it is going to survive after travelling through the atmosphere?

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       recommend1posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Apparently 'significantly large' pieces, so the tinfoil hat will need another couple of layers I think.

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          earnestshubposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I have one word for the tinfoil hat set.
          
          Hubcaps!
          
          We don't need them on our cars, they are thicker than tinfoil, and one car's hubcaps can save 4 people.
          We have 600 million cars, so that will take care of quite a few of the tinfoil hat people.

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    paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

    Yes we can! Yep, there is a place to run. There is a place to hide.
    
    “As of the moment, NASA says the 35-foot-long satellite will crash somewhere between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south latitude ... Polar bears and Antarctic scientists are safe.”

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    Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years ago

    It will most likely fall into the Simpson Desert in Australia, just like Skylab did in the 1980's

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       paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I remember that. And I have a vague recollection of some media outlet offering a reward to the first person that brought them a piece.

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          Kangaroo_Jaseposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Yup and I think about a 1,000 people turned up with 'strange, metal like (mangled knives or forks) objects with them'

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    habeeposted 12 years ago

    Is this what happened to Chicken Little??

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       paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I just saw a precursor go zipping by as I typed this!

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    NineMillion BCposted 12 years ago

    So thats what I keep finding in my back yard! I thought it was pieces off my lawnmower!

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    IzzyMposted 12 years ago

    Latest in the potential disaster here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15021323
    
    So it'll be Friday evening GMT - which is less than 20 hours away, but they still don't know where it will land.

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    Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

    so has anyone noticed any falling space junk yet? I'm staying inside as it is supposed to fall anytime now

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    Randy Godwinposted 12 years ago

    Perhaps it will hit my car.  I was told I needed some more "junk in my trunk" anyway. 

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       Isabel Melvilleposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Hope it is insured!

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          Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          I might better let my wife sit in in the car just in case, she has insurance!

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    Aficionadaposted 12 years ago

    It seems to have slowed down and changed its orientation, so the timetable has changed somewhat.
    
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44643532

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    Aficionadaposted 12 years ago

    I would have thought that there would be some site tracking its progress now, but I haven't found one just yet.  Does anyone know of such a website?
    
    I may be in the path where it will be visible overhead, and I don't know whether I've already missed it or could still look for it!

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       IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I was looking all day, but it seems twitter is the best bet. You'd have thought they would have put a dedicated website up considering the amount of interest this has generated.
       
       Just put 'satellite' in the search box.

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          paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          ~

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             IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             That is freaky, the whole glow in the dark stuff they did with cats.

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    IzzyMposted 12 years ago

    I did read however, that it only takes 1 and half hours to circumnavigate the planet, so if you missed it, it should be back round soon.
    
    It is also travelling in a NE to SW direction in the skies.

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       paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       have fun here............

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          paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          "Your message is empty."

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             IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

             Que???

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                paradigmsearchposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                And you are a dingbat as am I and we are doomed.!

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                   IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                   Dingbat?
                   
                   I don't even know what that is, but I definitely am a bit batty. I sat for ages on the terrace tonight with my camera at the ready just in case that satellite should fall.
                   
                   Then it started raining and I got soaked, so so much for that idea!

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                      Aficionadaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                      Oh that is wonderful!  I wish I had a picture of that!  No, a video would be even better.
                      
                      Yes, I think that could possibly qualify as dingbat behavior, but only in the most lovable sense.  No real distinction from battiness, really.

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                         Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                         I disagree, AF!  A batty bat, having been recently dinged, will act battier than a normal undinged batty bat. 

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                            IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                            Is that alliterism? Is alliterism a real word?

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                               Randy Godwinposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                               "alliterism", sets off my spellcheck, Izzy!  But then, so does "spellcheck" 

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                                  IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                  I nearly choked to death laughing there! It is so true, so many new words we are using every day gives an online spellchecker fits. Like webmaster, or spellcheck, as you say.

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                         IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                         You can just imagine me, facing a southern sky, looking skywards at the clouds that were throwing down rain.
                         
                         Normally we have clear skies.
                         
                         I just thought that seeing as tonight we didn't, that damn satellite would come down to...annoy us, more than anything.
                         
                         But what a steal that would be, I might even have seen Google love again if I'd captured the pictures of it landing.
                         
                         Now instead it is going to land on the house, flattening me in the process. Actually can I just ask that it lands on my stomach and does it flattening process there? That sounds good to me.
                         
                         With this whole internet thing, we should be able to track the progress of this bloody satellite, instead of imagining all sorts!

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                            Aficionadaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                            Well, I've been having way too much fun over at Twitter.   I did find this tracker.  Several different sites, in fact, but they posted basically this same picture.  I don't know how valid it is - apparently done by an individual.
                            
                            http://www.heavens-above.com/
                            
                            Just as I posted this, it showed the satellite over Madagascar.

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    Aficionadaposted 12 years ago

    Thanks for the tip on Twitter, Izzy.  I have an account there that I have never used!!
    
    I did find some times and places that are possibilities, but there are so many IFs included, that I was hoping I could see something on a radar screen or a map or something like that.
    
    It was like... IF it hasn't fallen yet, it should begin passing over the US at 7:45pm and IF it hasn't fallen yet, their best guess would be 8:16pm PST (I don't know why it's not PDT!) - so, 12:16am for me.  And then IF it hasn't fallen yet, it might be visible in the Pacific NW around 9:20pm. (This was an Oregon newspaper website I was reading.)

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    IzzyMposted 12 years ago

    Its alliteration, not -ism. Auld daftie me! You really have got a watch the Twitter satellite comments, they are hysterically funny.

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    MichelleA2011posted 12 years ago

    Last night as I was walking up my street at just about 9pm when I looked up in the sky and saw these bright orange spots in the sky and they were moving. They were not planes but they were moving across the sky. By the time I got up to my apartment and to the window, more kept coming. I had no idea what they were. Then I remembered hearing about the soon to fall satellite and wondered if these were pieces that were burning up in the atmosphere or caught in our gravitational pull. It was so surreal to see.

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    IzzyMposted 12 years ago

    http://www.spaceflightnow.com/uars/status.html

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       Aficionadaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       That's a great tracker, Izzy!
       
       Lisa, thanks for the update.  (I think the 1-in-trillions odds referred to any specific person.  Any person at all was more like 1:3200.)

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          Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          Good point (about the odds).  Also, about Izzy's link to the tracker.  I found the tracker on Fox, and it said that high demand meant it could take several minutes to load.  I didn't feel like waiting for it.

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    Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

    The last I heard (Boston's 11:00 p.m. news), it's supposed to be falling any minute now (it's 12:14 a.m. Eastern time, and I think they said, maybe, 12:15 a.m.); and it's expected to drop into Canada.  (So much for the ocean near Indonesia, I guess.)  They're saying the odds of anyone's being hit by it are in the trillions (or at least one trillion).

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    Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

    Has anyone been to the link in the last few minutes?  It looks to me as if something may be different.    (1:10 a.m.)  I'm just not sure it's not something wrong with the page loading (or something like that).  (It looks like it might be down by what they're saying on there.)

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    IzzyMposted 12 years ago

    What a let down! I stayed up all night to learn where it landed, and its 'somewhere over the Pacific' - that was less than an hour after I went to bed. Oh well, at least it missed my house!

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       Lisa HWposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I watched the two of the "tracking things"right up until the announcement that it was confirmed down, but not determined exactly where.  Finally, I just stopped caring about where and decided to just go sleep.    (There was a time there when I was kind of worried for Australia, though.)

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    Iintertransposted 12 years ago

    I hope it falls into a plain land with out hurting any one  and I am curious to know how many part in it will be survived .I am really curious.
    But you have started a nice hub with this much of people engaging in  interactions.
    I had voted this interesting .

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    Stacie Lposted 12 years ago

    After days of worldwide suspense, NASA declared Saturday that its six-ton Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite came apart during a fiery fall over the Pacific Ocean.
    The space agency said the decommissioned spacecraft fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. ET Friday and 1:09 a.m. ET Saturday. NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs said the Joint Space Operations Center, headquartered at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, reported that the satellite entered the atmosphere over the Pacific.
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44632366/ns … nce-space/
    I hope no one was hit

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