Satellite falling to earth soon

[momoffuzzyfaces]

As if we don't have enough things to worry about, a spy satellite is falling to earth. Know one knows where it will land. sheesh!!!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080126/...dead_satellite

[lizbud]

I heard that on the news tonight. Quote from the article......

""Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, when asked about the situation after it was disclosed by other officials"


Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better about it. I hope we
get to know when to look up.

[chocolatepuppy]

Oh great! Something else for me to worry about.

[Karen]

I wouldn't waste your brain cells and energy worrying about this, folks. Seventy-one percent of the Earth is covered in water, to start with. Now think of all the "empty" space - agricultural fields, deserts, high mountain ranges - where no one lives. Ever driven any distance across the US for example, or flown anywhere and looked out the window? Flying to Beijing, for example, even after we had crossed the Pacific ocean, we spent what seemed like hours and hours flying over empty Siberian tundra.

Here's a good "population denisty map" from NASA.



You can download a much bigger version here: http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=116

but look at how much of even the land areas are sparsely populated.

I'm not going to lose any sleep over this. And I live in one of the dark red areas!

[ramanth]

Yep. Debris come falling in quite a bit. Most of it burns up, but on a very rare occasion it makes contact with human civilization. No worries here.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Well, someone could get hurt in the stampede to get to the thing. I guess it has "info" the government doesn't want to fall into "the wrong hands", according to a news blurb I heard earlier today!

[Twisterdog]

I highly doubt it will make it through the earth's atmosphere without burning up completely. Don't lose sleep over it.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Well, it went up without burning up. It's likely to come back down the same way.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Well, it went up without burning up.

It's likely to come back down the same way.

Uhhhh ... Not so ...

It went *UP* with a sharp, pointy end out in front to protect it ...
It will be falling *down* without that protection ---

The fast speed developed in the fall, together with the extreme heat caused by
friction (air drag) will no doubt fry most of it to dust before it hits the earth.

(He said, hopefully.)

[Argranade]

I heard on tv it's going to be falling into an ocean.

I forget which one lol.

[Cinder & Smoke]

... it's going to be falling into an ocean.

They "*HOPE*" it's going to fall into an ocean.

Way too early to tell where it's going to fall.

[lizbud]

I heard on tv it's going to be falling into an ocean.

I forget which one lol.

Does it matter??? as long as it's not in my backyard.

[ramanth]

Forget satellites! Talk about a close one.

Asteroid to Make Near Miss of Earth Next Week

[Cinder & Smoke]

Forget satellites!

Talk about a close one.

OK ~ Ebberbuddie **DUCK**!

Yeah butt ... the Big Rock IS gonna *miss* the ole durt ball ...

The space junque is guaranteed to HIT us :EEK:

A close miss is better than a Sure HIT!

[Catty1]

...die in the stampede to see the thing that a) is in a gazillion pieces, and b) has landed in the middle of nowhere?

I don't think so.