Some 530 million people in North America are in the clear. NASA and Air Force officials tracking the impending, uncontrolled atmospheric reentry of a 6.5-ton U.S. science satellite say the spacecraft will not be passing over the U.S., Canada or Central America when it makes a destructive plunge back toward Earth on Friday afternoon.
However, debris could fall anywhere else in areas that stretch from 57 degrees north latitude to 57 degrees south latitude -- roughly from northern Siberia to southern South America. NASA and the Air Force will not know exactly where until the fall toward Earth begins.
Decommissioned in late 2005, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite was deployed by astronauts aboard shuttle Discovery in September 1991. Analysts expect about 26 parts weighing a total of 1,200 pounds to survive reentry and hit the surface of Earth.
Odds of a single person being struck by falling debris: 1 in 3,200.
ABOUT THE IMAGE: Click to enlarge the NASA image of the UARS on the end of shuttle Discovery's robot arm before it was deployed in September 1991.
5 comments:
The website that you can track the UARS is back up.
Also noticed a telescope video shot from France of UARS tumbling uncontrolled in space.
Best quesstimate south atlantic and Africa...but need to refine that based on solar flares...last pass over dc tmw morning early
the website is getting hammered thank you nbc nightly...
you want an alternative check here
http://www.heavens-above.com/
Looks like the last passes are going to be over Europe
"Falling Satellite Update: North America Safe"
So that's all right then. Where does Gaetano Marano live?
Italy?
Damn. Was hoping for streaking fireballs overhead today with a chance of sonic booms.
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