NASA's UARS satellite is making its final orbits around Earth, tumbling and flashing brightly as it descends toward a Sept. 23rd re-entry.

Satellite tracking expert Ted Molczan has predicted a decay time "late on Sep 23, roughly between 18:00 and 22:00 UTC."

Click on the map to view ground tracks corresponding to this interval:

The disintegration of UARS is expected to produce a fireball that could be visible even in broad daylight.

Not all of the spacecraft will burn up in the atmosphere, however; according to a NASA risk assessment, as many as 26 potentially hazardous pieces of debris could be scattered along a ground track some 500 miles long.

Posted: 8:20:42 AM  

No-fly zones will come into effect on the moon for the very first time by the end of this month!
Why, even buffer zones that spacecraft may have to avoid will come into existence.

The reason: avoiding any spraying of rocket exhaust or dust onto certain historical sites and artefacts on the moon.

Sure ...

Posted: 8:13:47 AM  

Doomed NASA satellite captured on video as experts predict it 'could land' any time from tomorrow - and the 'strike zone' covers most of the planet

The 1,200lb satellite will, Nasa estimates, break into more than 100 pieces on re-entry, and some will burn up - but it's estimated that around 26 of the heaviest metal pieces WILL hit the surface - in lumps weighing up to 300lbs.

Posted: 8:03:22 AM