Images of UARS tumbling through the atmosphere
Have you heard on the news lately about a NASA satellite that's crashing to Earth this Friday? This object is called the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). It was put into orbit around Earth back in 1991, and spent 14 years studying Earth's ozone layer and our atmosphere in general. In 2005, the satellite was decommissioned because only half of the instruments on board were still functional, and the satellite had already lasted 11 years longer than it's original planned science mission. UARS had some fuel on board which it used as thrust to place itself on a decaying orbit, causing it to eventually fall back to Earth. The satellite will crash land on Earth this Friday afternoon, September 23rd, 2011. As UARS flies through the atmosphere, it is expected to burn up into as many as 26 different pieces ranging from a few pounds up to 400 lbs. These pieces will crash to Earth at speeds of up to 240mph, and are expected to be scattered over a 500mile wide area. NASA does not yet know exactly where the satellite will crash land, but they think it will land somewhere East of North America. If the satellite were to land in a populated area anywhere in the world, the estimated death rate is 1/3200. Hopefully UARS will land harmlessly in the middle of the ocean! Check out Spaceweather.com for more information on where UARS will land, and when you will be able to see it cross the sky. This fireball of a satellite should be visible on Friday even in broad daylight!
