Topic: ISS Space Junk Reentry

[The Postman]

Space Weather News for Nov. 1, 2008
http://spaceweather.com



More than a year ago, in July 2007, International Space Station astronauts threw an obsolete, refrigerator-sized ammonia reservoir overboard. Ever since, the 1400-lb piece of space junk has been circling Earth in a decaying orbit--and now it is about to reenter. If predictions are correct, the "Early Ammonia Servicer" (EAS for short) will turn into a brilliant fireball as it disintegrates in Earth's atmosphere during the early hours of Monday, Nov. 3rd. Uncertainties in the exact reentry time are so great (plus or minus 15 hours at the time of this alert) that it is impossible to pinpoint where the fireball will appear. At the moment, every continent except Antarctica has some favorable ground tracks.

Readers should check our Satellite Tracker (http://spaceweather.com/flybys/) for possible overflights. Before reentry, the EAS will seem about as bright as a 2nd or 3rd magnitude star, similar to the stars of the Big Dipper.  During re-entry, the disintegrating reservoir could light up like a full Moon.  Flyby predictions should be regarded as approximate because the orbital elements of the EAS are now changing so rapidly. Updates will be posted on http://spaceweather.com.

[Sirgod]

That is pretty neat. I always liked watching things like this, ever since Skylab fell to the ground when I was just a kid.

Stephen

[The Postman]

Reentry Prediction: Predicted Reentry Time: 3 NOV 2008 @ 03:46 UTC ± 15 hours
Prediction Epoch: 31 OCT 2008 @ 14:15:37.116 UTC

Prediction Ground Track:





For clarity, ground track plot is limited to ± 6 hours (ticks at 5-minute intervals)
Ground track plotted at 5-minute intervals
Blue Line - ground track uncertainty prior to predicted time
Yellow Line - ground track uncertainty after predicted time
Orange Line - Earth horizon as seen from the reentering body
White Line - day/night terminator (Sun location as indicated)

[The Postman]

REENTRY UPDATE: The Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) may be history. Thomas Dorman of Horizon City, Texas, used a low-light video camera to record the EAS flying over his hometown on Nov. 1st. Similar overflights were expected on Nov. 2nd and 3rd, "but the EAS did not appear," he says. "I think it is safe to assume EAS has reentered." So far we have received no reports of a fireball, but that is not necessarily surprising. Reentry could have happened in daylight, over ocean waters or some other sparsely populated area. Stay tuned for updates.

[The Postman]

REENTRY UPDATE: US Space Command reports that the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS) probably reentered Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 3rd at 04:51:00 GMT +/- 1 minute over the following coordinates: 48° S, 151° E. That would place the fireball over the Indian Ocean south of Tasmania where sightings are unlikely.

[Don Karnage]

why have they not trow it toward the sun instead?

[Nemesis]

why have they not trow it toward the sun instead?

It takes relatively little energy to deorbit something like this and a very large amount to make it impact the sun.

[Don Karnage]

i don't think it will reach the sun surface, it will be melt before it reach it.

or send it out in space or on the moon.

if its hit a ufo well i hope they have insurance 

[Nemesis]

i don't think it will reach the sun surface, it will be melt before it reach it.

or send it out in space or on the moon.

if its hit a ufo well i hope they have insurance 

Same issue with all of those.  The energy costs are too high. 

Until something like a reusable solar sail that can fly by and pick up space junk to be carted away to a designated junkyard is invented the cheap way is just to deorbit the item.

[Lieutenant_Q]

And besides, unless its a large object, it will burn up either way.  Why not de-orbit it?  It's cheaper, faster, and if any of it does survive re-entry, someone can get a nice souvenir. 

[Tus-XC]

When your in LEO its easy to deorbit, since atmospheric drag is one of the primary forces you expiernce.  for Geo Synchonis orbits they don't do this because of the amount of time it would take to deorbit (many many many years) so they usually do a burn and push those into a junk orbit that is further out.