Where are the Fallen Pieces of NASA’s UARS Satellite?
The much anticipated fall of a NASA satellite, the UARS (Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite), has happened over the weekend, with the public left wondering where it could have all gone.
NASA earlier announced there was a one-in-3,200 probability that the UARS could hit someone on Earth. However, no one has reported finding any UARS piece since its crash over the weekend.
NASA estimates that the fall had happened sometime between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday (0323 GMT Saturday) and 1:09 a.m. EDT (0509 GMT) Saturday.
NASA sources have told the media that the UARS satellite may have plummeted into the Pacific Ocean. However, if their estimates are at least five minutes off, the UARS could have scattered on northwestern North America.
Considering no space junk-related injuries or damage have been reported, NASA said the UARS may have very possibly showered an unpopulated area; it could have gone into the ocean.
In a report by the Associated Press, Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said some UARS debris could have fallen over areas such as Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Calgary, Alberta; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which was within the vast area in which bits and pieces of the UARS were roughly estimated to drop.
"Pieces are falling off of this flaming fire ball, and some of it has enough momentum to go hundreds of miles," McDowell said.
NASA's previous calculations indicated that the satellite would fall over a 500-mile swath and could include land.