An old NASA satellite is expected to fall to Earth in pieces as early as Thursday.
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), which was decommissioned in 2005, is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere on Sept. 23, plus or minus a day, NASA reported Monday afternoon.
"Although the spacecraft will break into pieces during re-entry, not all of it will burn up in the atmosphere," NASA acknowledged in a statement. However, it added that "the risk to public safety or property is extremely small."
According to The Canadian Press, about 26 potentially hazardous pieces of the satellite are expected to survive re-entry and more than 450 kilograms of debris may make it to the ground, resulting in an estimated 1 in 3,200 chance of hitting someone.
If the satellite does cause any damage, the U.S. government could be held legally responsible, since it is the country of origin for the satelitte, Peter Brown, a University of Western Ontario space scientist, told The Canadian Press.
However, Brown, who uses radar data to track meteorites around the Earth's atmosphere, said most likely the satellite will come down over the ocean.
The UARS satellite, launched in 1991 to take measurements of the ozone layer, has a mass of almost six tonnes and is a little over 10 metres long with a diameter of about 4.5 metres. Other satellites have taken over the types of measurements it used to make.
NASA expects any surviving components to land between 57 north degrees latitude
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), which was decommissioned in 2005, is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere on Sept. 23, plus or minus a day, NASA reported Monday afternoon.
"Although the spacecraft will break into pieces during re-entry, not all of it will burn up in the atmosphere," NASA acknowledged in a statement. However, it added that "the risk to public safety or property is extremely small."
According to The Canadian Press, about 26 potentially hazardous pieces of the satellite are expected to survive re-entry and more than 450 kilograms of debris may make it to the ground, resulting in an estimated 1 in 3,200 chance of hitting someone.
If the satellite does cause any damage, the U.S. government could be held legally responsible, since it is the country of origin for the satelitte, Peter Brown, a University of Western Ontario space scientist, told The Canadian Press.
However, Brown, who uses radar data to track meteorites around the Earth's atmosphere, said most likely the satellite will come down over the ocean.
The UARS satellite, launched in 1991 to take measurements of the ozone layer, has a mass of almost six tonnes and is a little over 10 metres long with a diameter of about 4.5 metres. Other satellites have taken over the types of measurements it used to make.
NASA expects any surviving components to land between 57 north degrees latitude