Nature makes me nostalgic for the 70s, when a young boy’s fancy was caught by tales of Skylab hurtling down to Earth with immense destructive power… and now, once again, we’re treated to reports of falling satellites!
An out-of-control US spy satellite will crash to Earth in the coming months, government officials say. The satellite is large enough that remnants are likely to survive atmospheric re-entry and strike the Earth, sometime in late February or early March, says Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council.
Is that normal?
“This is relatively routine in that satellites de-orbit all the time,” says Johndroe.
Say what now?
Also, please enjoy the article’s illustration from the wonderfully named “NASA Orbital Debris Program Office.”