NASA Re-entry and Risk Assessment for UARS

 

NASA published on its website a Re-entry and Risk Assessment for the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), which is expected to reenter the atmosphere in late September or early October.

The official source of reentry predictions for uncontrolled space objects is USSTRATCOM’s Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC).

TIP messages provide the best estimates of reentry time and location but have large uncertainties. Even at T – 2 hours, the uncertainty of reentry time is on average +/- 25 minutes for nearly circular orbits. This equates to +/- 12,000 km on the Earth.

The document can be downloaded from NASA website, along with a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) on space debris.


                                                
                      

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Andrea Gini

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Andrea Gini is a content strategy consultant specialized in companies of the space sector. He is founder of Space Safety Magazine, where he held the position of Editor-in-Chief until March 2015. Between 2011 and 2013 he worked in the European Space Agency in the Independent Safety Office, which overviews the utilization of the International Space Station. He previously worked as Software Developer, IT Consultant, and trainer of Java-related technologies. Andrea holds a BSc and an MSc in computer science from the University of Milano, a Master in Communication of Science from the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste and a MSc in Space Studies from the International Space University.

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