Path of Falling Satellite: NASA Prepares to Confirm Where It Will Hit Earth
The path of the falling UARS satellite is expected to be determined sometime this evening, according NASA officials.
At this time, it is difficult to make an exact prediction on where the parts from the defunct satellite will end up landing the Earth's surface, but according to its current orbit, North America is not in any danger.
“We are trying to predict which of its orbits around the Earth will be the last one,” said Steve Cole of NASA’s Office of Communications of its Washington DC Headquarters to The Christian Post.
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Cole describes the satellite as a “big rock trying to skip across a lake,” and by discovering its final orbit, a valid prediction could be made determining where the parts for the falling satellite will land.
Cole stated that NASA expects UARS to enter Earth’s atmosphere in roughly 12 hours.
But this type of incident is not uncommon.
Cole added that space debris falls onto the Earth more frequently than people know and that it is nothing to be worried about.
“There is no recorded case of a human being hurt by anything (space debris) falling,” said Cole.
NASA and the U.S. Air Force are constantly at work tracking the device to make an accurate estimation of the location of its debris field, or place where the spacecraft will break apart into falling pieces.
People encountering fallen parts of the satellite once it finally makes its descent should not tamper or touch the pieces, according to Cole.
Debris from UARS will not be radioactive, but Cole warns that it is still broken metal and can be sharp and dangerous to touch.
Anyone discovering UARS parts should contact their local authorities.
Once NASA can make an accurate prediction on where they will land, the space agency will post the information on its website later on tonight.
