DUARS Satellite Re-Entry: Impressive Light Show & Potential Debris Threat

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SUMMARY

The UARS satellite is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere this weekend, moving faster than initially predicted. NASA has indicated that there is a 1-in-3200 chance of debris hitting someone on the ground, with the satellite's remnants weighing approximately 1,170 pounds and composed of materials like titanium, aluminum, steel, and beryllium. The satellite's trajectory covers a wide area, including major cities, but the strike zone will shrink significantly in the coming days. For most individuals, the probability of being hit will drop to zero as the satellite descends.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of satellite re-entry dynamics
  • Familiarity with NASA's satellite tracking systems
  • Knowledge of materials used in satellite construction
  • Awareness of orbital mechanics and trajectory calculations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of satellite debris on Earth and safety measures
  • Learn about NASA's satellite tracking and prediction tools
  • Study the materials used in satellite construction and their properties
  • Explore the principles of orbital mechanics and re-entry trajectories
USEFUL FOR

Space enthusiasts, aerospace engineers, safety regulators, and anyone interested in satellite technology and its implications for Earth. This discussion is particularly relevant for those monitoring satellite re-entries and their potential hazards.

  • #211
Jimmy Snyder said:
You're going to look pretty foolish when that asteroid comes barrelling down your telescope right into your eye.
It is the size of a locomotive, choo choo choo...

Rhody... o:)

Poor Evo, our official "End of Days" magnet... sigh...
 
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  • #212
rhody said:
It is the size of a locomotive, choo choo choo...
That's why there's a lower limit on the diameter of the telescope.
 
  • #213
Hope your luck is sill running Evo.

At 13.2 metric tons (14.6 tons), the Phobos-Ground is one of the heaviest spacecraft ever to plummet to Earth, considerably larger than the two defunct satellites that fell to Earth last fall and landed in the water.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gy6Nvaqpn7_3CE4SVmtqblQKdvlg?docId=076fafc9fafa4d5592ecb49561dcb544
 
  • #214
dlgoff said:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gy6Nvaqpn7_3CE4SVmtqblQKdvlg?docId=076fafc9fafa4d5592ecb49561dcb544
From the article, "There is no reason to panic."

There seems to be a missing a qualifier here. It should have said "There is no reason to panic if you don't live close to Evo."
 
  • #215
dlgoff said:
Hope your luck is sill running Evo.



http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gy6Nvaqpn7_3CE4SVmtqblQKdvlg?docId=076fafc9fafa4d5592ecb49561dcb544
You think they'd find another company?

Phobos-Ground marked Russia's first planned foray beyond Earth's orbit since a botched 1996 robotic mission to Mars. That probe, designed by the same Lavochkin company, crashed shortly after launch due to an engine failure. The firm also built two other Phobos-bound probes that failed in 1988.

D H said:
From the article, "There is no reason to panic."

There seems to be a missing a qualifier here. It should have said "There is no reason to panic if you don't live close to Evo."
I don't have a good track record. A satellite is one of the few things I haven't been hit by...yet.
 
  • #216
Take care Evo, this one is headed for the Mars plant in Topeka.
 
  • #217
Jimmy Snyder said:
Take care Evo, this one is headed for the Mars plant in Topeka.
:smile:
 
  • #218
D H said:
From the article, "There is no reason to panic."

There seems to be a missing a qualifier here. It should have said "There is no reason to panic if you don't live close to Evo."

Jimmy Snyder said:
Take care Evo, this one is headed for the Mars plant in Topeka.

Oh crap. I'm located between Evo and Topeka.
 
  • #219
dlgoff said:
Oh crap. I'm located between Evo and Topeka.
You might want to check your insurance policies. Just sayin'.
 
  • #220
The good news is that if we ever have a potentially hazardous object on a collision course, we can save the planet by jettisoning Evo into space. :biggrin:
 
  • #221
jhae2.718 said:
The good news is that if we ever have a potentially hazardous object on a collision course, we can save the planet by jettisoning Evo into space. :biggrin:
Buwahahahah!

Oh, wait... :rolleyes:
 
  • #222
*hides before Evo can reach the banning gun*
 
  • #223
jhae2.718 said:
*hides before Evo can reach the banning gun*
You are a smart person, but you will slip up..eventually :devil:
 
  • #224
Rought roh... http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/01/21/giant-solar-flare-may-spark-auroras-tonight-across-u-s/ we go again, but instead of junk it's plasma this time, be sure to look north tonight, maybe to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis.

Rhody...

P.S. Stay low and move fast jh jinking as you run. Keep a small supply to stones to misdirect Evo's aim, it worked for me in the past. :redface:
 
  • #225
Heads up. Be careful which bus you get on Friday.

Asteroid Evo.
 
  • #226
Jimmy Snyder said:
Heads up. Be careful which bus you get on Friday.

Asteroid Evo.
It missed. It means there's still one out there with my name on it. :frown:
 
  • #227
Evo said:
It missed. It means there's still one out there with my name on it. :frown:

I'm thinking I may have to put some distance between us. :rolleyes:
 
  • #228
dlgoff said:
I'm thinking I may have to put some distance between us. :rolleyes:
:cry:
 
  • #229
I can't get any farther east unless I go to Canada! Whaaa!
 
  • #230
Whispers to the others: let's get her and shoot her into space. That'll rid us of asteroids.

Oh hai, Evo! :-p
 
  • #231
micromass said:
Whispers to the others: let's get her and shoot her into space. That'll rid us of asteroids.

Oh hai, Evo! :-p
Et tu micro? :frown:
 
  • #232
Evo said:
Et tu micro? :frown:

I'm nice :biggrin:

I understand you're a bit worried. Just take a seat over here. What is that?? This seat looks like a rocket?? Nooooo, you're just a bit tired.
Just sit down a take a little nap, I'm going to close the rocket door *cough* I mean bedroom door.

OK guys, launch it!
 
  • #233
micromass said:
I'm nice :biggrin:

I understand you're a bit worried. Just take a seat over here. What is that?? This seat looks like a rocket?? Nooooo, you're just a bit tired.
Just sit down a take a little nap, I'm going to close the rocket door *cough* I mean bedroom door.

OK guys, launch it!
:cry: You forgot my woobie, I can't sleep without my woobie.
 
  • #234
Evo said:
:cry:
Actually, the more I think about it, you're kind of an space-junk asset. Thanks to the concerns of our members, I get early warnings. So I'm staying. :smile: