It’s not even 2012 yet, what’s the deal!? Reports ABC News:
A nearly 6-ton satellite is heading toward Earth and could crash into the planet as early as Sept. 24, NASA officials said. The UARS — short for Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite — has been in orbit since the space shuttle Discovery launched it in 1991, but it’s gradually coming closer and closer to the ground as it encounters friction from the upper reaches of the atmosphere.
NASA officials told ABC News overnight that they won’t know where the satellite will hit until two hours before it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, moving at 5 mph. The chances of anyone getting hit by the UARS satellite are 1 in 3,200, NASA said.
Most of the satellite will burn up in the earth’s atmosphere but there will still be 26 pieces crashing into the earth says NASA. The last time this happened was in 1979 when a satellite which weighed 15 times more than this one eventually crashed in Australia leading to a $500 fine for the USA for littering.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
$500 lol
kinda irresponsible that it’s just going to fall wherever. What if if falls in the middle of some metropolis like New York, LA, or Hong Kong… well maybe no one would care if it was LA but the rest of those densely populated places could be an issue.
“eventually crashed in Australia leading to a $500 fine for the USA for littering. ” idk what is it about this, but it’s hilarious they fined US for littering. LMAO
Lol at the fine, nice one Australia