NASA satellite safely crashes into the Earth (somewhere)
After having a few bumps in the road in trying to control the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite’s crash into the Earth, NASA confirmed that the satellite penetrated Earth’s upper atmosphere between 11:23 p.m. and 1:09 a.m. last night. The problem is, NASA isn’t quite sure exactly where the thing has crashed, if any of it was left intact at all.
NASA suspects that most of the 12,500-pound satellite burned up in the atmosphere before it crash-landed somewhere, but it’s possible that a fairly big chunk of it is floating about somewhere in the Pacific Ocean – or resting comfortably in a crater in someone’s yard.
There’s evidence to suggest that the latter may actually be true, as Christian Science Monitor picked up on a YouTube video which purports to show debris from the NASA satellite crashing around the Okotoks, Canada area.
The UARS’ return home caused a bit of a stir, due in no small part to the fact that NASA couldn’t seem to figure out where it was going to land. NASA attempted to reassure the public by pointing out that the odds of being struck by falling satellite debris is 1 in 3,200. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like pretty good odds to me.
For now, though, you no longer have to worry about a derelict NASA satellite crashing into your home while you’re asleep. Crisis averted?
