That's it, I'm staying inside on September 23rd.

[mookiemookie]

They say North America is safe:

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...ont-fall-on-us

[Oberon]

Nonsense, it always hits America.

[August]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

I wonder how they came up with the "1 in 3,200" chance. Did they measure the surface area of the debris and the surface area of a human's head, taking into account population densities and etc etc etc.

Dunno but from the article:

In the past, Nicholas Johnson, the head of NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office, has estimated that the chances that any of the UARS debris would hit anybody were 1 in 3,200 — which translates into a 1-in-20 trillion risk for any particular person.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by August

Dunno but from the article:

I'm wearing a helmet that day. Can never be too sure.

[papa_smurf]

The US space agency (Nasa) says that its out-of-control climate satellite is expected to crash to Earth sometime on Friday evening (GMT).
There is still much uncertainty over when and where the satellite will re-enter the atmosphere.
Experts say they will get a more precise idea in the last 12 hours before the satellite is due to return.

Thats cutting it a bit fine, better order in a hard hat just in case.

[Torplexed]

With Japan's luck lately, it'll likely crash there. Maybe right on top of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. That'd just cap off their year.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Torplexed

In 1979, after Skylab's impact in the Australian outback, the Shire of Esperance fined the United States $400 for littering, a fine which remained unpaid for 30 years. The fine was finally paid in April 2009, when radio show host Scott Barley of Highway Radio raised the funds from his morning show listeners and paid the fine on behalf of NASA.

Uncle Sam....whudda deadbeat.

Wonder if they ever fined the Soviets for that moon lander that crashed down under...

Maybe Nasa should use it to threaten the Government?

"All you have to do is give us funding and we'll make sure the satellite doesn't hit you, Obama, infact give us a good funding increase and we'll take care of those pesky conservative candidates, don't worry we'll make sure a piece hits Sarah Palin regardless"

[Oberon]

CIWS full auto time.

[Rhodes]

If it falls in Madeira, the hole(budget) may swallow it!

[Skybird]

"Brus-sels! Brus-sels! Brus-sels!"

[papa_smurf]

S officials now say the fall to Earth of Nasa's six-tonne UARS satellite could occur early on Saturday (GMT). Estimates of where debris might fall will be narrowed hours before impact.
And a UK team studying the trajectory says the most likely time for re-entry could be after 23:00 GMT Friday, and as late as 03:00 GMT on Saturday.

Looks like Sarah Palin is safe..... come on Australia

[papa_smurf]

I like how to odds of been hit are 1 in 3002, thats better than winning the national lottery in the UK!

[MothBalls]

It’s Safe to Go Outside: NASA Says Its Falling Satellite Will Miss the U.S.

OK, so it's safe to go outside in the US, and the way they headlined it, it's like that's all that matters, it won't hit the US.

But, if you live in Canada, Africa or Australia you might be screwed;

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, NASA posted an update that said the satellite, the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, was expected to re-enter between 11 p.m. Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday.

“During that time, the satellite will be passing over Canada, Africa and Australia, as well as vast areas of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans,” the update said. A day earlier, NASA had said it expected re-entry on Friday afternoon.

Original Story http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/sc...lite.html?_r=1

If you do get hit, no worries;

If by vanishingly small chance, the NASA satellite hit your house, by international treaty, NASA would be responsible for paying compensation for any damage and injuries.

However, it doesn't say a think about paying fines for littering.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by MothBalls

But, if you live in Canada, Africa or Australia you might be screwed;

It's happened before. Anyone recall Kosmos 954, the nuclear powered Soviet satellite that burned up over the Canadian Northwest Territories in 1978? Canada billed the USSR six million for radioactive cleanup. After some foot-dragging the Soviets eventually coughed up three million.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosmos_954