6-Ton Satellite Falling to Earth: Crash Will Occur This Week
A 30-foot, 12,500 pound satellite is currently on a crash course with Earth by this weekend, and NASA officials are unsure of where it will hit. The inactive Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, will be the largest piece of space junk to fall to earth in over 30 years.
An update on the NASA website Monday reported that the orbit of UARS was 130 mi by 143 mi (210 km by 230 km).
NASA officials believe the satellite will strike Earth sometime Friday, plus or minus a day, though they have not announced a time yet.
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Because NASA is unable to exactly predict when the satellite will enter the atmosphere, they are also unable to predict where it will strike. One report predicted the crash will be located somewhere between 57 degrees North Latitude, and 57 degrees South Latitude. That estimate covers most of the planet.
According to a post on NASA's website, "The actual date of re-entry is difficult to predict because it depends on solar flux and the spacecraft's orientation as its orbit decays. As re-entry draws closer, predictions on the date will become more reliable."
NASA stated that the risk of someone suffering bodily harm or property damage as a result of falling debris is as low as 1 in 32,000.
"Since the beginning of the Space Age in the late-1950s, there have been no confirmed reports of an injury resulting from re-entering space objects. Nor is there a record of significant property damage resulting from a satellite re-entry," said NASA officials.
The satellite is expected to break into 100 pieces that burn up when it enters Earth's atmosphere. These chunks of flying debris should be visible to the human eye, even in daylight.
Though they dismiss the notion that the satellite poses any real danger, NASA officials urge anyone who believes they find a piece of the satellite not to touch it, but to contact their local law enforcement officials.
