Where will it land ?

A 20-year-old satellite the size of a bus has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth next week.

NASA says the giant satellite is plunging to earth more quickly than anticipated and will crash during a three-day window around September 24.

The satellite was shut down in 2005 after completing its mission and was expected to fall to earth some time this year, but experts have now narrowed it down.

Hurtling at eight kilometres per second, it could land anywhere between 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south of the equator - most of the populated world, including Australia.

NASA says the risk to life from the satellite is just 1 in 3,200 as most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth.

Scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall through the Earth's atmosphere and debris could rain across an area 400 to 500 kilometres wide.

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It is a worry fwed with all those satellites up there, what goes up must come down LOL.  Not much we can do about it, just hope that it finishes up somewhere in the ocean.  Cheers

I remember in 1979 (July) one crashed in Esperance

I remember that well PlanB, like how exact you are with the date and month, if someone would have asked me I would have said ' years ago' :smiley:  Is there some reason you remember it so well???????

Yes beacuse that was the day I was leaving for my trip around Aussie and even to the time it was about 4-20am

Still, I would rather be dodging 26 little bits instead of a BUS.

57 Nth and 57 Sth thats a BIG area and no mention of what Long'

It will perhaps add some truth to the expression.......I feel like I got hit by a bus  lol Wobbly

LOL Wobbly, if it hits you I don't think you will be worrying whether it was a bus or not :-) :-) :-)

NASA still owes Esperance Shire Council $400 for littering, which was never paid. LOL

Still, who would ever have known that Esperance existed otherwise.

 

Remember Cpl Jones, don't panic,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR6wok7g7do

Dads Army................my favourite show ..............

space junk - we litter the earth and now we're starting on space as well!

there's lots and lots more space junk put up there by man - all of which is going to fall down somewhere.................

who pays for any damage and/or injury?

Strike me roan, it's back to building that backyard shelter.  Just when I was about to buy a squatters chair too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA8z94MXo9M

Wait a bit, how many days do the end-of-the-world-is-nigh Greens say there are left before carbon pollution kills everyone?

 

We're doomed,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7RIgs3eygo&feature=related

the satellite passed over Melbourne about 4pm yesterday, about 100 km up.

it is due (maybe) to land about 11am today ..... somewhere.

Incidentally that $400 was paid to Esperance 2 or 3 years ago.

If it was it was jolly good sport on either side and proof that humour lives.  Was there a minor ceremony?  Because there should have been and all tongue in cheek.

Hold on, that could encourage the owner of that (alleged) dead cow in WA to make a claim.  Of course it would have been the most healthy stud cow the farmer owned.

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