The defunct German Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT) is coming back to planet Earth - sometime in late October or early November. The X-ray space observatory is less than half the weight (2.4-tons) of the fallen UARS, but has an orbit that ranges from latitudes of 53 degrees north and south, putting it in a position where it can threaten a wide region that stretches from Canada to South America. And while much of the spacecraft will disintegrate during it’s rapid descent, German Aerospace Agency officials predict that as many as 30 large chunks of debris — a combined mass of 1.6 tons — is expected to survive re-entry.
http://science.nasa.gov/missions/rosat/ Clint Bradford, K6LCS _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
