Dead US satellite to enter Earth's atmosphere

Sep 24, 2011, 3:45 GMT

Washington - Parts of a 6-ton research satellite are expected to crash down to Earth, but the exact location is still unknown, NASA said.

It said the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite will pass over Canada, Africa and Australia, as well as vast areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, between 0345 and 0445 GMT Saturday.

'The risk to public safety is very remote,' NASA said.

Much of the satellite would burn up as it enters the atmosphere, but because of the size, some pieces would reach to the surface, NASA said.

During the projected time of entry, the satellite will be passing over Canada, Africa, and vast areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Experts at the European Space Agency ESA in Darmstadt, Germany, expect little more than 500 kilograms to survive the burn, which they said would likely break the residue into about 20 pieces.

The chances of being struck by falling debris is about 1 in 3,200. Since the space age began in the late 1950s, NASA said there have been no confirmed reports of injury or significant property damage from objects falling to Earth.

The satellite's orbit at 0330 Friday was about 135 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

The research craft was launched in 1991 to measure the ozone lawyer and the atmosphere. Its work ended in 2005.

The NASA link for information: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/uars/index.html