Will Fuel Burn Up Upon Re-Entry?

[Loren Booda]

Aside from combustion (oxidation?) of the noxious fuel from the exploded spy satellite, will most of the remaining fuel eventually burn up due to friction with the atmosphere, or will it fall unaltered as precipitation?

 

[pixel01]

Aside from combustion (oxidation?) of the noxious fuel from the exploded spy satellite, will most of the remaining fuel eventually burn up due to friction with the atmosphere, or will it fall unaltered as precipitation?

The problem is even worst?
The explosion may destroy the fuel tank, but there's not enough oxygen up there to react with the fuel. So there must be numerous fine droplets of the fuel. And a fine droplet, when plunging into the atmosphere, will never get enough velocity from friction for burning !

 

[russ_watters]

It will probably just evaporate, though.

 

[pixel01]

It will probably just evaporate, though.

Then the toxic fuel is to be 'disolved' into the air with a traced concentration, probably harmless. Good news.