URGENT: NASA: U.S. back in UARS satellite strike zone!!!!

I just saw a satellite in Kenora, Northwest Ontario, 8:44 CST. It was flaring. I checked my easy satellite tracker and there wasn't one due. Not sure if it was UARS because real time tracker has it elsewhere. Travelling south to north. Problem is it's clear here with no light pollution. I see lots of satellites that aren't on my easy list.

If someone knows which satellite I did see, please let me know.

It is now on the horn of africa and headed out to sea. How fast is this thing going, OMG thats quite the speed there.

reply to post by Robin Marks


Doubt it was UARS, as its just headed over somalia, plenty of pirates in the arabian sea hoping to collect some space junk to sell

Originally posted by cloaked4u
It is now on the horn of africa and headed out to sea. How fast is this thing going, OMG thats quite the speed there.

I agree!!

That thing is moving!!!!! So I'm guessing the Earth will make quite a few orbits before it lands......

Originally posted by aRogue
Stupid question, but...

Why is this satellite crashing down to Earth? Couldn't they push it out to the cosmos or something?

Today, I have learnt much...for the first time I created a thread of which I was proud...and I have learnt a lot from people like Phage... and this is not your fault so don't take it the wrong way but the amount of times one has to answer the same question time and time again...and now I fully understand why Phage is succint and straight to the point.

And it's not easy when you've come in from hard days work not to ask the same question tons of people have asked throughout the day. The only reason I've spent the longest ever on here today is because I'm sick...lol and I decided to get involved and was interested in where UARS would end up.

It's not feasible or economical to knock it off course nor to fire a missile
Why?...If they fired a missile and shot it to pieces in same orbit as other satellites imagine the damage and costs to years of dedicated work.
If shot over us...imagine the increase in velocity of the smallest of fragments...they can put a hole through ya...so 26 pieces scattered over a 500km radius is the best course of action...pure and simple...Hope I don't come over patrionising in any way and I am sure Phage would also add his expertise to this.....
Just been a very interesting experience for me!.....an eye opener...lol

reply to post by DarthPhobos


I doubt it as well. But I don't think the trackers have actual location since it's changed speed.

If it follows the same wavelengh path it will head out to sea more and go under austrailia and go back up again.

I just spoke to a friend in Australia and he made a valid point...we all asssume the satellite is man-made, but anything orbiting the Earth...man-made or other...is a satellite...so what if we're being told this is the UARS satellite but it's really something else...piece of asteroid or meteor...a flying craft? Just food for thought.

Is it me or is this getting faster or has tighter orbit as It`s getting close to Aus for second time within 2 hrs?

reply to post by Jools

Orbital mechanics.
The lower the orbit the faster.
The higher the orbit the slower.

reply to post by cloaked4u


and in anout 90 minutes u probably will see it again,

just in case u saw it really, perhaps it wasn't uars what u saw...............

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Jools

 

Orbital mechanics.
The lower the orbit the faster.
The higher the orbit the slower.

good point to note, thanks.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by cloaked4u

 

Because the Earth is round.

giggle

Originally posted by SheldonCooper
reply to post by cloaked4u

 

and in anout 90 minutes u probably will see it again,

just in case u saw it really, perhaps it wasn't uars what u saw...............

I will let you all know when i see it again when it passes here again ok,

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Jools

 

Orbital mechanics.
The lower the orbit the faster.
The higher the orbit the slower.

Thank you sweetie!...Oh man do I ever hope someone gets some great pics/wideo x

Originally posted by Jools

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by cloaked4u

 

Because the Earth is round.

giggle

I was talking about the wave pattern, the up and down as it is going AROUND our planet in such a fashion that it is.
REALLY, the earth is round. GEEE, phage, REALLY. phage, are you trying to be my rival?

I asked the folks at Gpredict via the mailing list if I could use it to watch UARS and Rosat as they come down.

My question

"I see the website says, " Fast and accurate real-time satellite tracking
using the NORAD SGP4/SDP4 algorithms. "

I'd like to use Gpredict to track in real time not a simulated
prediction of where the stable orbit should be but where it actually is
second by second, following it as it crashes to earth. Is this possible?
UARS is coming down today or tomorrow and RoSat a German satellite is
coming down at the end of October."

Here was the reply

John,

To track UARS, I started a new module and searched for uars using the
filter in 1.3. (It should also come up if you use an older version.)
UARS is only present in one satellite name. It is object 21701 and is
in the science.txt file on celestrak. It should be part of the default
downloads. I would advise updating frequently as the orbit seems to
be changing.

As for following the satellite all the way down, The SGP4/SDP4
Algorithms will take you reasonably close to the decay. The SGP8/SDP8
algorithms are supposed to be better for decaying items. After that,
no-one really knows how the satellite will break up so modelling it
will be fun. On the news I have seen probability contours of the
impact.

As for more detailed and updated prediction, I have not been tracking
it that closely.

Charles

If anyone wants to try it: main page: gpredict.oz9aec.net...

Windows version download page: gpredict.oz9aec.net...

Anyone know how many miles up now?...darn tracking sites.......!

reply to post by cloaked4u


cause it's an eliptical Orbit, there ur point of 'going' up and down, (was it ur point?)

or am i wrong, Phage ?

reply to post by Jools


Yeah the servers are reporting waaaay toooo busy right now. Aww! It worked for a few minutes!