UARS Satellite uncontrolled rentry around Sep 23

chrisyeo · Post by **chrisyeo** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:15 am

Just a heads up !

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html

UARS Updates

Update #6
Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:00:29 AM GMT+0800

As of Sept. 20, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 127 mi by 140 mi (205 km by 225 km). Re-entry is expected Sept. 23, plus or minus a day. It is still too early to predict the time and location of re-entry. Predictions will become more refined over the next two days.

UARS Re-Entry Overview

NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in late September or early October 2011, almost six years after the end of a productive scientific life. Although the spacecraft will break into pieces during re-entry, not all of it will burn up in the atmosphere.

The risk to public safety or property is extremely small, and safety is NASA's top priority. Since the beginning of the Space Age in the late-1950s, there have been no confirmed reports of an injury resulting from re-entering space objects. Nor is there a record of significant property damage resulting from a satellite re-entry.

It is too early to say exactly when UARS will re-enter and what geographic area may be affected, but NASA is watching the satellite closely and will keep you informed. Visit this page for updates on the satellite's orbital track and predicted re-entry date.

NASA will post updates weekly until four days before the anticipated re-entry, then daily until about 24 hours before re-entry, and then at about 12 hours, six hours and two hours before re-entry. The updates will come from the Joint Space Operations Center of U.S. Strategic Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., which works around the clock detecting, identifying and tracking all man-made objects in Earth orbit, including space junk.

The actual date of re-entry is difficult to predict because it depends on solar flux and the spacecraft's orientation as its orbit decays. As re-entry draws closer, predictions on the date will become more reliable.

As of Sept. 8, 2011, the orbit of UARS was 152 miles by 171 miles (245 km by 275 km) with an inclination of 57 degrees. Because the satellite's orbit is inclined 57 degrees to the equator, any surviving components of UARS will land within a zone between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south latitude. It is impossible to pinpoint just where in that zone the debris will land, but NASA estimates the debris footprint will be about 500 miles long.

http://www.heavens-above.com/AllPass1Sa ... t=0&tz=EST

stargazer · Post by **stargazer** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:28 pm

Hopefully it falls somewhere in desert and retrievable for scrap to prevent any possible pollution.

If falls in our region...then better hide at home on that day !!

bharat · Post by **bharat** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:58 pm

Way back in 1979 or 80, when I was still in school in India, I remember the re-entry of US space station "Skylab" had created great hype and our school had even closed earlier than usual on the expected day of re-entry to allow students to reach home safe and sound! Most of Skylab debris ultimately ended up crashing into the Western Australian desert.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:45 pm

Thanks for the info. Last paragraph in first link quite interesting:

"If you find something you think may be a piece of UARS, do not touch it. Contact a local law enforcement official for assistance."

If that really happens, I think it will end up in Ebay rather than with the law enforcement.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:46 pm

Thierry Legault captured this UARS footage with a Celestron EdgeHD 14" SCT.

Full report --> http://legault.perso.sfr.fr/uars_110915.html

[video width=640 height=390]http://www.youtube.com/v/98DHFIkHaec&hl=en_US&rel=0[/video]

Post by **Airconvent** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:35 pm

Cool..it was flaring so I initially thought it was a re-entry video!

As for debris, don't pick it up! The satellite may contain toxic components and the residual fuel on board is toxic as well.

ps..welcome back Chris! You're welcome to rejoin the team..

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 12:39 pm

Oh no... this satellite will be passing nearly overhead of Singapore around 7pm tonight, and will pass southeast of Singapore at around 6.30pm tomorrow:
http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummar ... 1&tz=MALST

(click on 'All passes')

Latest update: it's expected to crash into planet Earth tomorrow (23rd Sept):
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html

Carry an umbrella! Just imagine if pieces of it fell onto the F1 tracks during the heats...

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 11:10 am

Re-entry is expected within the next 2 hours:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html

http://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx ... 1&tz=MALST

Looks like we won't be getting it. Wonder where it would eventually land. Hope someone manages to video its fiery reentry.

I remember seeing Mir a few years ago, from Singapore, on one of its final orbits before crashing.

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:44 pm

It seems that the satellite has already entered the atmosphere. However, NASA doesn't appear to be sure where and when exactly.

Hmmm... I would have thought that with all their technology to detect in-coming Russian/Soviet missiles, etc, they could track or detect such things.

''Update #13
Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:55 :17 PM
GMT+0800
As of 10:30 p.m. EDT on Sept.
23, 2011, the orbit of UARS
was 85 miles by 90 miles (135
km by 140 km). Re-entry was
expected between 11:45 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 23, and 12:45
a.m., Sept. 24, Eastern
Daylight Time (3:45 a.m. to
4:45 a.m. GMT). During that
time period, the satellite was
passing over Canada and
Africa, as well as vast areas of
the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian
oceans. The risk to public
safety was very remote. NASA
is working to confirm the re-
entry location and time and
will provide an update shortly.''

starfinder · Post by **starfinder** » Sat Sep 24, 2011 4:38 pm

Such imprecision. The Russians are coming! Don't know where, don't know when.

'' Update #15
Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:46 :42 PM
GMT+0800
NASA’s decommissioned
Upper Atmosphere Research
Satellite fell back to Earth
between 11:23 p.m. EDT
Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m.
EDT Sept. 24. The Joint Space
Operations Center at
Vandenberg Air Force Base in
California said the satellite
penetrated the atmosphere
over the Pacific Ocean. The
precise re-entry time and
location are not yet known
with certainty.''