Today in TechDead NASA satellite falls to Earth this week
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, right up there with robot athletes or custom-printed organs. A dead NASA climate satellite, which has been circling the earth for 20 years, will plummet from space around Friday September 23. Approximately 26 pieces of the satellite will survive the scorching heat of re-entry to eventually hit the planet. Exactly where those pieces will land is somewhat uncertain, though NASA will obviously track the satellite's descent toward Earth.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite was launched in 1991 with the scientific mission to study our atmosphere and ozone. UARS measured ozone and other chemical compounds found in the ozone layer, as well as the winds and temperatures located in the stratosphere. In 2005, NASA ordered the UARS to burn its remaining fuel, setting the stage for the satellite's eventual, inevitable suicidal plunge back to Earth.
The debris only has a 1-in-3,200 chance to hit a person, which is considered "extremely small" by NASA. No confirmed human injuries have been reported since the beginning of space travel in the 50's, and satellite re-entry equally hasn't resulted in any significant property damage. If you happen to get lucky enough to see a piece of NASA, fight the temptation to sell it on eBay. The satellite does still belong to NASA.
[Image credit: NASA]
[NASA via Space.com]
Article by Michael Gray
This article originally appeared on Tecca
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