3.5 Ton Satellite to Crash Back to Earth

DeadBugs writes "CNN is reporting that the NASA Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer could crash back to earth in a matter of days. It's estimated that up to 9 large pieces (4-100 lbs.) of the Satellite could survive re-entry. Unlike the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory that was guided in, this Satellite will be uncontrolled. The EUVE has only been up there since 1992.... I wonder when this sort of thing will start to be a more common event."

Comments

All this technology and yet so disturbing

[prototype]

I find it somewhat disturbing that in the year 2002, after we've put men on other planets, taken photos of galaxies millions of light years away and split the atom, we cannot determine the path of a plummeting object.

CNN (and other sources including NASA) are reporting a 9 hour window on when it could fall. With all the scientific minds and all the great algorithms we have, we can't determine when something like this will happen? Or is it that unimportant to bother getting out the slide rule and doing some calculations? And then there's where. A 1000 mile path that nobody seems to have any clue where it might land. We can't figure out a simple trajectory?

Doesn't this disturb anyone that chunks of metal up to 100lbs is going to be dropping on our heads shortly? True, the chances of getting hit are probably a billion to one, but they say that about lightning as well. Well, it'll be a fun light show and we can always hope it lands in Redmond or somewhere insignifigant.

liB