We all know that the dinosaurs probably met their end when a giant asteroid came hurtling down from outer space and smashed into the Yucatan Peninsula. When the dust cleared, the dinosaurs were gone. Of course, this isn't the first time a mass extinction occurred, but no one ever expects something to fall from the sky. Well, expect the unexpected, because it's about to happen, and America is in its path.
The Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) has been monitored by NASA since it began to slow down a few days ago, but the government agency still doesn't have an idea of where or when the satellite will come back into the atmosphere. This is not because the scientists are not paying attention; this satellite is unstable about its axis of rotation as it comes back to Earth, and when it's traveling at speeds ranging from 10 to hundreds of miles per hour, there's a lot of room for error.
In addition to the high speeds and unstable axis, the satellite is literally breaking up in front of NASA's eyes. NASA believes it will break up into a maximum of 26 pieces made of titanium and beryllium, metals that will heat up but not burn up in the atmosphere. Despite all these risks, NASA is fairly unconcerned.
This is not the first time that a satellite has come crashing down ahead of schedule. In 1979, a 70-ton space station called Skylab fell out of orbit, and pieces of it landed in Australia. A woman in Oklahoma was walking with some friends at 3:30 in the morning in 1997 and got hit by space junk and sustained no injuries. While being hit by hot, heavy metal with high velocities is not a laughing matter, the chances of it hitting anyone are slim to none.
Since 70% of the Earth's surface is water, the chances of it crashing into land are diminished. Plus, since there is a chance the satellite or one of its pieces could hit a man-made structure, a lot of people are paying attention to where it's going. The Federal Aviation Administration released a notice on Thursday calling the satellite a "potential hazard," and asking all pilots and other aircraft operators to keep a sharp eye out for any falling debris. They are to report anything to the nearest traffic control center.
Once these pieces of metal enter the atmosphere, it will only be a few minutes before they hit the ground. So if you're looking up at the sky on Friday or Saturday (9/23 or 24) and you see something coming at you, run. It's not just a story anymore.
The Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) has been monitored by NASA since it began to slow down a few days ago, but the government agency still doesn't have an idea of where or when the satellite will come back into the atmosphere. This is not because the scientists are not paying attention; this satellite is unstable about its axis of rotation as it comes back to Earth, and when it's traveling at speeds ranging from 10 to hundreds of miles per hour, there's a lot of room for error.
In addition to the high speeds and unstable axis, the satellite is literally breaking up in front of NASA's eyes. NASA believes it will break up into a maximum of 26 pieces made of titanium and beryllium, metals that will heat up but not burn up in the atmosphere. Despite all these risks, NASA is fairly unconcerned.
This is not the first time that a satellite has come crashing down ahead of schedule. In 1979, a 70-ton space station called Skylab fell out of orbit, and pieces of it landed in Australia. A woman in Oklahoma was walking with some friends at 3:30 in the morning in 1997 and got hit by space junk and sustained no injuries. While being hit by hot, heavy metal with high velocities is not a laughing matter, the chances of it hitting anyone are slim to none.
Since 70% of the Earth's surface is water, the chances of it crashing into land are diminished. Plus, since there is a chance the satellite or one of its pieces could hit a man-made structure, a lot of people are paying attention to where it's going. The Federal Aviation Administration released a notice on Thursday calling the satellite a "potential hazard," and asking all pilots and other aircraft operators to keep a sharp eye out for any falling debris. They are to report anything to the nearest traffic control center.
Once these pieces of metal enter the atmosphere, it will only be a few minutes before they hit the ground. So if you're looking up at the sky on Friday or Saturday (9/23 or 24) and you see something coming at you, run. It's not just a story anymore.
Update: The UARS satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean at 04:00 UTC on September 24th. The debris field is estimated to be 500 miles long. No one was hurt.
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