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Satellite could plummet to Earth

furcalchick

furcalchick

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 19, 2006
2,426
5
South Florida
Satellite could plummet to Earth

A "large" US spy satellite has gone out of control and is expected to crash to Earth some time in late February or March, government sources say.
Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the satellite had lost power and propulsion, and could contain hazardous materials.

The White House said it was monitoring the situation.

A spokesman said "numerous" satellites had come out of orbit and fallen back to Earth harmlessly over the years.

"We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause," said Gordon Johndroe, who speaks for the US National Security Council.

Questioned by The Associated Press, he would not be drawn on whether the US would try to destroy the satellite, perhaps with a missile.

"We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause," he said.

An unnamed official quoted by AP said the US government was keeping lawmakers and other countries abreast of the situation.

The agency notes that the largest uncontrolled re-entry by a US space agency (Nasa) craft was Skylab, a 78-tonne abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979.

Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia, the US news agency says.

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound (3,175-kg) science satellite hit the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would crash.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/2/hi/science/nature/7211443.stm

things like this make me think about the negatives of orbiting objects in space.
 
I wouldn't read too much into it, i think the chance of this happening is just as good as any of the space junk out there. We've really littered it up.
 
.Andy said:
Don't worry. By the time it passes through the atmosphere it will be no bigger than a Chihuahua's head.
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That depends on the way it falls. If they can't control it they can't say exactly how it will fall. MIR was brought down slowly and at the right angle to cause proper burn up. Plus it fell into the ocean. Who knows where this thing could land.
 
What's the difference between large and "large"?

I told my wife that, just to be safe, I need to stay indoors at my computer, and not risk going outside, for the next few months.
 
Iscariot said:
I hope it does, because that was genius.
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If you are referring to the TacoBell promotion, that was absolute chaos in our area. There was a TacoBell in an already busy area, and it made the backups all the way to the home Depot two miles away. Most of the parking lot was a line.
 
CRAZYBUBBA said:
I wouldn't read too much into it, i think the chance of this happening is just as good as any of the space junk out there. We've really littered it up.
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Agreed. This could be blown a little over board. Something like a Stallite wouldn't do much damage anyway, providing that its entrance into the ozone layer would tear it to shreds.
 
JML42691 said:
If you are referring to the TacoBell promotion, that was absolute chaos in our area. There was a TacoBell in an already busy area, and it made the backups all the way to the home Depot two miles away. Most of the parking lot was a line.
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That's even crazier than the one I went to in Walpole on Rt.1 for my Tacoby Bellsbury taco. :eek:
 
Counterfit said:
That's even crazier than the one I went to in Walpole on Rt.1 for my Tacoby Bellsbury taco. :eek:
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This was the one on the Norwell/Hingham line (I believe that it is actually in Norwell), and the traffic made it all the way to the Home Depot two miles away in Rockland.
 
What's this thing about Taco bell? Every time a satellite burns in the atmosphere they give free tacos away? :confused:
 
What's that commercial (UK only) where the guy spends ages parking in a safe and secluded spot, then a satellite lands on his car?

This story reminded me of that :D
 
.Andy said:
Don't worry. By the time it passes through the atmosphere it will be no bigger than a Chihuahua's head.
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True, but depending what kind of orbit this thing is in, it could end up being the size of a chihuahua's head, travelling at mach 14 or 15. I wouldn't want to be in it's way, I can tell you.

Anyway, I'm actually with the sentiment of this post. Don't worry. Even if it makes it to the surface intact, it will be far more likely to hit an unpopulated area than a populated one.

<crosses fingers /> ;)
 
MacNut said:
That depends on the way it falls. If they can't control it they can't say exactly how it will fall. MIR was brought down slowly and at the right angle to cause proper burn up. Plus it fell into the ocean. Who knows where this thing could land.
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Chillijam said:
True, but depending what kind of orbit this thing is in, it could end up being the size of a chihuahua's head, travelling at mach 14 or 15. I wouldn't want to be in it's way, I can tell you.

Anyway, I'm actually with the sentiment of this post. Don't worry. Even if it makes it to the surface intact, it will be far more likely to hit an unpopulated area than a populated one.

<crosses fingers /> ;)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart's_Comet
 
This is all fear, uncertainty and doubt.

The chances of this satellite injuring someone is 1 in a trillion! (I didn't make that figure up!)

Anyone worried about this should realise that you are much much much more likely to die from hitting your head on your toilet bowl than this. :p
 
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