Earth to satellite: When will you hit -- and where?

[mfcorey1]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — NASA scientists are doing their best to tell us where a plummeting six-ton satellite will fall later this week. It's just that if they're off a little bit, it could mean the difference between hitting Florida or landing on New York. Or, say, Iran or India.

Pinpointing where and when hurtling space debris will strike is an imprecise science. For now, scientists predict the earliest it will hit is Thursday U.S. time, the latest Saturday. The strike zone covers most of Earth.

Not that citizens need to take cover. The satellite will break into pieces, and NASA put the chances that somebody somewhere will get hurt at just 1-in-3,200.

As far as anyone knows, falling space debris has never injured anyone. Nor has significant property damage been reported. That's because most of the planet is covered in water and there are vast regions of empty land.

http://news.yahoo.com/earth-satellite-hit-where-175412638.html

[trumad]

1. "The strike zone covers most of Earth"

Uhh---does that mean it might hit non-Earth?

:rotf:

[rasputin1952]

2. Thing is, if you are the one that gets hit...

life is going to really suck, (and be pretty short)...:hi:

[no_hypocrisy]

3. This reminds me of Skylab in the summer of 1979.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2001/03/42564?currentPage=all

[woodsprite]

4. I wish those were the odds given when I buy a lottery ticket.

Seem pretty high for me or my property getting hit by a piece of space junk.

[raccoon]

5. We should ALL practice "duck and cover."

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=%22duck+and+cover%22&mid=EE7D7BCA04356D662C55EE7D7BCA04356D662C55&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1

I mean, it can't hurt...

[MahayanaLotus]

6. Odds

Seem better than the lottery.

[charlie and algernon]

7. the people of Piedmont, Arizona better run for cover

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Andromeda_Strain