NASA satellite expected to smash into Earth today

The U.S. space agency (NASA) is expecting an out-of-control climate satellite to crash into Earth soon, likely sometime in the afternoon of Friday, September 23.

The nearly 6-tonne Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is expected to re-enter the Earth’s “sometime during the afternoon of Sept. 23, Eastern Daylight Time,” said a NASA in a morning update on September 22. While the space agency isn’t sure exactly where the UARS will land, it says it will not be passing over North America at that time.

The good news is that NASA estimates that there’s a one-in-3,200 chance that the satellite will kill or injure someone. “Since the beginning of the Space Age in the late-1950s, there have been no confirmed reports of an injury resulting from re-entering space objects. Nor is there a record of significant property damage resulting from a satellite re-entry,” the agency said.

However, flying satellites could cause some liability issues.

University of Western Ontario professor Peter Brown told the Canadian Press that the U.S. government could be held legally responsible if satellite debris comes slamming down on a person or causes property damage.

“My understanding is that if it’s an object that falls to Earth the country of origin for the launch is responsible for any casualties,” he said.

“In this case it wouldn’t be NASA per se, but the United States more generally, that could be liable if someone is hit or killed or if there’s property damage.”

The UARS satellite was launched in 1991 by the Space Shuttle Discovery. It was used to measure ozone and chemical compounds found in the ozone layer as well as winds and temperatures in the stratosphere and the energy output of the sun. It was officially decommissioned on December 15, 2005 and has been heading towards re-entry since. While much of the satellite is expected to break up when it hits the Earth’s atmosphere, 26 of the largest pieces – the heaviest weighing about 136 kilograms – are expected to survive.

NASA said since 1988, the official policy of the United States has been to minimize the creation of new orbital debris. The most recent National Space Policy (PDF) (June 28, 2010) contains a section entitled “Preserve the Space Environment” that addresses orbital debris mitigation for both the near term and long term. In 2001 the United States adopted a set of measures for government agencies and departments called orbital debris mitigation standard practices. These standard practices became the foundation for the development of international orbital debris mitigation guidelines.

Russia, China, Japan, France, and the European Space Agency have all issued orbital debris mitigation guidelines. In addition, in 2007 the United Nations, through its Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, created a set of orbital debris mitigation guidelines.

Time will tell where the pieces of the UARS will land. If you find pieces, NASA warns against collecting the space junk.

“If you find something you think may be a piece of UARS, do not touch it,” NASA officials said. “Contact a local law enforcement official for assistance.”

Find out more about the re-entry and risk assessment for the NASA Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) in this PDF.

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