Defunct Satellite To Fall From the Sky

Front page first-timer EmLomBeeNo sends word of a 6.5-ton satellite that will soon be making a quick and fiery return to Earth. From Space.com: "The huge Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled fall in late September or early October. Much of the spacecraft is expected to burn up during re-entry, but some pieces are expected to make it intact to the ground, NASA officials said. The U.S. space agency will be taking measures to inform the public about the pieces of the spacecraft that are expected to survive re-entry." According to a NASA press conference today, you have a 1-in-21 trillion chance of being hit by falling debris. Who's feeling lucky?

Comments

Re:Terrible word choice

[jeffmeden]

What, you would rather an engineer AND a communications major be required to produce the press release, in order for it to change from "uncontrolled fall" to either "planned gravitationally-assisted descent process" (if you were told to spin it "for") and "massive, fiery man-made meteor raining death on unsuspecting victims" (if you were told to spin it "against")?

Measures to inform the public

[sl4shd0rk]

NASA says run, but not in a straight line.

Re:Methinks the public doesn't appreciate odds

[elrous0]

I heard some girl got killed by a toilet seat from Mir when they deorbited it. But that could just be a rumor.

1-in-21 trillion chance

[PPH]

And you can improve on that quite a bit. Just go down to the local surplus store, buy some satellite spare parts and drop them on your house.

The odds of one house being hit by two pieces of satellite is vanishingly small.