The sky really IS falling...

[Tombs]

I don't think our anti-satellite munitions are up to the task of destroying an entire core stage booster. IIRC they're kinetic-only and not able to really "destroy" much more than a small or medium satellite. Punching a hole through the empty fuel tank of a spent booster doesn't accomplish anything.

If it's just a fuel tank with an engine at this shallow of an entry, then there's no possible way anything significant will be hitting the ground.

 

[chezuki]

I don't think our anti-satellite munitions are up to the task of destroying an entire core stage booster. IIRC they're kinetic-only and not able to really "destroy" much more than a small or medium satellite. Punching a hole through the empty fuel tank of a spent booster doesn't accomplish anything.

“Shooting it down” would also also create a bunch more space junk to potentially interfere with functioning satellites. We want less orbiting trash, not more.

 

[JSJamboree]

big deal about nothing. It will burn up way before it gets here.

From all the reports I have read, MOST of it will burn up, but everyone seems to be in agreement that based on the size and the composition that there is still going to be a fairly large debris field on this one.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Uh, this isn't exactly secret tech.

We've had anti-satellite missiles for the F15 for many many years. Shooting down something like this space junk would be child's play.

The Streak Eagle! It had no paint to make it lighter.

 

[Expat]

Maybe the UFOs will save us.

 

[Ark]

If it's just a fuel tank with an engine at this shallow of an entry, then there's no possible way anything significant will be hitting the ground.

Yep. Parts of the engine may come down, but it's coming in at a very shallow angle from a very low, high velocity orbit. It's going to get a LOT of atmospheric heating before it finally slows and hits the ground, the bulk of it should get torched and break up. Large debris area but the individual pieces should only be, at most, the heaviest individual components of the engines.

“Shooting it down” would also also create a bunch more space junk to potentially interfere with functioning satellites. We want less orbiting trash, not more.

A successful shootdown would create a cloud of debris, but it would all be moving along more-or-less the same orbit and would all reenter around the same time.

Given the low altitude we almost certainly could put a ground-based interceptor into it, but given the extreme low risk of damage or injury it's not really worth shooting one off.

 

[tv1217]

Come oooon Chicago

 

[ditcherman]

What are the odds of it coming down on DC?

Not high enough.

 

[KellyinAvon]

That's a bit of a range...

The latest prediction from Space Track on when the rocket could re-enter the atmosphere is just after 7 p.m., Eastern Time, on Saturday, plus or minus 9 hours.

As Chinese rocket barrels toward Earth, FAA working with NORAD on potential impact to commercial air travel

The Federal Aviation Administration is working with the North American Aerospace Defense Command to track any impact the Chinese rocket hurtling uncontrolled toward Earth might have on commercial air travel, the agency told FOX Business.

www.foxbusiness.com

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That's a bit of a range...

The latest prediction from Space Track on when the rocket could re-enter the atmosphere is just after 7 p.m., Eastern Time, on Saturday, plus or minus 9 hours.

As Chinese rocket barrels toward Earth, FAA working with NORAD on potential impact to commercial air travel

The Federal Aviation Administration is working with the North American Aerospace Defense Command to track any impact the Chinese rocket hurtling uncontrolled toward Earth might have on commercial air travel, the agency told FOX Business.

www.foxbusiness.com

Wow, that's about like Comcast installers...

 

[ditcherman]

Wow, that's about like Comcast installers...

Pretty early in the day to win the internet but I’d say this does it.

 

[SmileDocHill]

Wow, that's about like Comcast installers...

Lol, "yeeaaah, you're 'satellite installation' will be arriving within the 16 hour window"

Plus, from a post earlier: please tell me there is a pub called "The Space Bar" somewhere near NASA where all the NASA computer nerd employees hang out.

 

[ditcherman]

Lol, "yeeaaah, you're 'satellite installation' will be arriving within the 16 hour window"

Plus, from a post earlier: please tell me there is a pub called "The Space Bar" somewhere near NASA where all the NASA computer nerd employees hang out.

Aren’t you supposed to be doing chores? Don’t you have somewhere to be? (From the guy that needs to load mags)

 

[Leadeye]

Does anybody think the chinese give a hoot where it hits?

 

[ditcherman]

Does anybody think the chinese give a hoot where it hits?

No, and we should kick their butts for it.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Looks like the Space bubbas got it down to between now and 2311 our time. Every minute of change on re-entry moves the target 470 km (292 miles). Two hour range = 35,040 miles. 24,901 miles is the Earth's circumference...

https://twitter.com/spacetrackorg

 

[thompal]

From all the reports I have read, MOST of it will burn up, but everyone seems to be in agreement that based on the size and the composition that there is still going to be a fairly large debris field on this one.

It's considerably larger than Skylab, and that ended up in Australia.

Apparently, this isn't the first Chinese rocket to come down. One killed a bunch of people in a village in Africa not long ago.

 

[thompal]

Looks like the Space bubbas got it down to between now and 2311 our time. Every minute of change on re-entry moves the target 470 km (292 miles). Two hour range = 35,040 miles. 24,901 miles is the Earth's circumference...

https://twitter.com/spacetrackorg

So, they've finally narrowed it down to somewhere on earth?

 

[printcraft]

 

[KellyinAvon]

So, they've finally narrowed it down to somewhere on earth?

Blood Sweat and Tears was definitely right in this case.