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This is an archive article published on September 25, 2011
Satellite hits,location unknown
A dead 6-ton NASA satellite plunged to Earth on Saturday but more than eight hours later,US space officials didnt know just where it hit.
Written by Associated Press
Washington | September 25, 2011 12:24 AM IST
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A dead 6-ton NASA satellite plunged to Earth on Saturday but more than eight hours later,US space officials didnt know just where it hit. They thought the fiery fall was largely over water and the debris probably hurt no one.
NASA didnt give a more specific location in an update on its website,which also said it was not aware of any reports of injuries or property damage. Most of the spacecraft was believed to have burned up.
The bus-sized satellite first penetrated Earths atmosphere somewhere over the Pacific Ocean,according to NASA and the US Air Forces Joint Space Operations Center. But that doesnt necessarily mean it all fell into the sea.
NASAs earlier calculations had predicted that the 20-year-old former climate research satellite would fall over a 500-mile swath and could include land.
Because the plummet began over the ocean and given the lack of any reports of people being hit,that gives us a good feeling that no one was hurt, but officials didnt know for certain,NASA spokesman Steve Cole said.
The two government agencies said the 11-meter satellite fell sometime between 0323 GMT and 0509 GMT Saturday,but with no precise time or location.
There was speculation on the Internet and Twitter,much of it focusing on unconfirmed reports and even video of debris from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite over Alberta,Canada.
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