Satellite Falling to Earth but Crash Site Is Unknown
- 11 years ago
A satellite that’s been dubbed the ‘Ferrari of space’ will soon succumb to gravity and begin plummeting towards Earth.
A satellite that’s been dubbed the ‘Ferrari of space’ will soon succumb to gravity and begin plummeting towards Earth.
It’s expected to land in pieces, some of which could weigh up to 200 pounds.
If there’s been no word of warning issued by local emergency services it could be for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, no one has reportedly ever been injured by falling space debris, so it’s not really considered to be much of a threat.
According to the European Space Agency, "Taking into account that two-thirds of Earth are covered by oceans and vast areas are thinly populated, the danger to life or property is very low."
Also, statistically, the odds of being clobbered by a meteorite are greater.
Another reason for the lack of evacuation and massive crisis procedure plans is because nobody’s sure where it’s going to land.
Debris touchdown is, according to experts, tough to predict.
The craft ran out of fuel in October and has since been guided through the atmosphere by a combination of gravity and air friction.
As it falls closer to earth, the rate of acceleration will pick up considerably. It will also get easier to track.
A satellite that’s been dubbed the ‘Ferrari of space’ will soon succumb to gravity and begin plummeting towards Earth.
It’s expected to land in pieces, some of which could weigh up to 200 pounds.
If there’s been no word of warning issued by local emergency services it could be for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, no one has reportedly ever been injured by falling space debris, so it’s not really considered to be much of a threat.
According to the European Space Agency, "Taking into account that two-thirds of Earth are covered by oceans and vast areas are thinly populated, the danger to life or property is very low."
Also, statistically, the odds of being clobbered by a meteorite are greater.
Another reason for the lack of evacuation and massive crisis procedure plans is because nobody’s sure where it’s going to land.
Debris touchdown is, according to experts, tough to predict.
The craft ran out of fuel in October and has since been guided through the atmosphere by a combination of gravity and air friction.
As it falls closer to earth, the rate of acceleration will pick up considerably. It will also get easier to track.