Update: falling satellite could impact eastern U.S.

A-hole post edited out, sorry.

reply to post by GenRadek


No, that software is not “Monitoring” the orbit, it is “calculating” the orbit. The orbit is elliptical in shape so at some points in the orbit it is higher than others. This software just knows the orbit’s parameters and plots it based on its calculations. After the crash if they do not remove that web page, it will indeed still show the satellite happily orbiting the planet, as it has no knowledge of the actual satellite, just its intended orbit.

Originally posted by Cryptonomicon

Originally posted by Charizard
Darn, it's cloudy down here in the south-central US. I don't think I'll be able to see it.

Be careful what you ask for. You might just get to see this thing up close and personal!

Not according to spaceweather.com.

NASA STATEMENT: NASA has just issued a new statement on the re-entry of UARS: "As of 7 p.m. EDT on Sept. 23, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 90 miles by 95 miles (145 km by 150 km). Re-entry is expected between 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, and 3 a.m., Sept. 24, Eastern Daylight Time (3 a.m. to 7 a.m. GMT). During that time period, the satellite will be passing over Canada, Africa and Australia, as well as vast areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. The risk to public safety is very remote."

Let's look at the bottom line here.
It's not that it's going to hit the Earth, but the fact that NASA, our military, or, dare I say, Space Command can't shoot this satellite down before it hits the Earth.

Doesn't this prove that we're powerless against any meteor or other space rock that is headed to Earth? Maybe this is why we aren't ever told that the Earth just had a fly by until it's already passed. They know there's nothing they can do, so why even mention it.

As a side note, maybe they'll start putting a self-destruct mechanism in these things. If one happens to start plummeting towards Earth, they can just hit a button that will cause it to explode and deteriorate in space.

Originally posted by Cryptonomicon

Originally posted by Human_Alien

Originally posted by loveguy
reply to post by Human_Alien

 

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 24,000 miles per hour is my guesstimate, and climbing. Sorry the pun!

And that's not a candidate for g-force? Phage is either out to ph*ck my mind or I really really shouldn't care because it's obviously out of my league of understanding.

It's easy. While in orbit, astronauts float around "weightless", spinning and such. They are in Zero G. They are traveling in the neighborhood of 18,000 mph. Zero G.

Okay, I understand that. But when this hits our atmosphere, it will pick up gravity hence encounter g-force, no?
I'm not sure what one has to do with the other.

reply to post by Afterthought


The reason they don't do that is they don't want to litter space anymore than it already is. Collision hazards for other things up there.

Originally posted by GenRadek
Hey is it just me, or are we actually watching it skip across the atmosphere? I'm watching the altitude and it was going down, now its going up. So does that mean its skipping?

This is what I am noticing to, in the time I have been watching, it has moved between 150 - 171 and back down, now back up

reply to post by loveguy


4.85 x 3600 = 17,460 miles per hour.

How cool!
Last one I saw before it crashed was skylab.
I was a kid and the news told us where to watch for it and I saw it.

Ground controllers adjusted Skylab's orientation for ideal re-entry dynamics in the hours before reentry[14] at approximately 16:37 UTC 11 July 1979. They aimed the station at a spot 810 miles (1,300 km) south southeast of Cape Town, South Africa. The station did not burn up as fast as NASA expected, however. Due to a 4% calculation error, debris landed southeast of Perth, Western Australia,[2]:371 and was found between Esperance and Rawlinna, from 31° to 34°S and 122° to 126°E. The Shire of Esperance fined the United States A$400 for littering, a fine which remained unpaid for 30 years.[15] The fine was paid in April 2009, when radio show host Scott Barley of Highway Radio raised the funds from his morning show listeners and paid the fine on behalf of NASA.[16]

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by jaynkeel


Yeah, nothing like a massive hunk of metal hurtling towards Earth that gets you thinking about how we're trashing up the Earth and space.

You'll have to excuse my sarcasm. I was just thinking about why it's not wise to go barefoot at the beach anymore.

reply to post by CLPrime


AHH beat me to it, was just about to post that

Oh man. I'm in Georgia and I figure I've got a 50/50 chance of the magic school bus falling on me.
I think my 50/50 chance (it either hits me or it doesn't) just got 50/50'er.

Just wondering if anyone can track it,cause I can't get anything.
Guess everything is overloaded.

reply to post by Afterthought


I hear ya, what really irks me is the lack of responsibility NASA shows sometimes. I mean they are supposed to be professionals but a lot of times the things they do don't appear that professional. It's ok for them to say oops we don't know where a school bus sized object is gonna land until the last minute but damn a private organization if they were to do the same thing. If they knew the thing to be defunct back several years and not knowing the exact location of impact they should have done a little more effort in taking care of the situation in my mind.

reply to post by kdog1982


It's to the east of New Zealand right now.
Once it crosses the Pacific, it should be over California in about half an hour.

Originally posted by byeluvolk
reply to post by GenRadek

 

No, that software is not “Monitoring” the orbit, it is “calculating” the orbit. The orbit is elliptical in shape so at some points in the orbit it is higher than others. This software just knows the orbit’s parameters and plots it based on its calculations. After the crash if they do not remove that web page, it will indeed still show the satellite happily orbiting the planet, as it has no knowledge of the actual satellite, just its intended orbit.

edit on 23-9-2011 by byeluvolk because: (no reason given)

Ah that sucks. I was hoping to watch it go down and burn live! Oh well, one can hope right?

Originally posted by GenRadek
Ah, ok, thanks Phage and Cohort! I would not have guessed that! This is pretty cool to watch!

Hey guys, where are you tracking altitude and speed. Link, please!

reply to post by CLPrime


Thanks CLP,will be keeping an eye to the sky here in Kentucky in 30 min,if it lasts that long,got beautiful clear sky here tonight..

I got a link for google earth working now,it just shows the satellite.
www.lizard-tail.com... 606-4%20%2033766-3%200%20%206315&2nd=2%2021701%20056.9410%20265.2237%200005407%20008.0226%20352.1131%2016.40434617109089

Originally posted by new_here

Hey guys, where are you tracking altitude and speed. Link, please!

Well I dont know if i should direct more people to it to slow down the servers but:
www.n2yo.com...

reply to post by new_here


www.n2yo.com...

If you can get on it, its been packed lately.