satellite to crash into earth

[emmie]

The scientists believe there is a satellite the size of a double
decker bus about to hit earth, but they have no idea where it will land.
If it were to fall on a town or city, how much damage could it do. Why wouldn't it burn up in the atmosphere>

[bibblebub]

It will break up into (approximately) 26 fragments http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15023115

[DTCwordfan]

will it be on time?

[mightyWBA]

Can you have a bet on where it will hit?

How about if they divide the Earth up into a grid pattern and you could buy a square for a £,like what they do with cow pats in a field.
Winners get a nice payout and the rest goes to charity :-)

I'm having a fiver on it landing in the Pacific Ocean and Wolverhampton..Hopefully.

[mightyWBA]

Lol DT....One fragment hits then another 25 will come along!

[emmie]

apparently it's only the size of a single decker, so that's all right then>

[douglas9401]

At least that takes low bridge related problems off the list of worries. L)

[emmie]

Douglas, i have seen buses and lorries go under bridges that were obviously too low for their respective vehicles, no idea how the drivers don't realise that, and some have caused injury and death to the passengers.
Saw one bus locally where the roof was ripped off like a sardine can, very scary. Not sure about this satellite, i mean it could still do some damage, ironic if bits of it were to hit a bus.

[puternut]

And the BBC article ends with a warning for November - the Germans are about to attack us from the air.

[emmie]

Puternut, what's new about that

[razza]

They cant predict accurately where it will fall,but a nasa website says its liable to fall between UK and China.

[sandyRoe]

^^^ That's narrowed it down a bit.

[factor-fiction]

The oceans account for around 70% of the earth's surface and I would have thought that a large part of land area is more or less uninhabited (think of most of Australia, Antarctica, mountain ranges, deserts, forests) so the chances of people or property being hit are pretty small.

[LazyGun]

Just in case, I have built a bunker in my living room of cardboard boxes, with the opened unbrella for the roof. I think I will be safe :)

[kinell]

on your marks.......injury lawyers 4 u

[rowanwitch]

between UK and china....that's helpful....

[jake-the-peg]

This is not uncommon - some of us remember Skylabs crash in Australia


The odds against human casulty have been calculated at 3,200:1 against as I recall.


NASA generally works with a 10,000:1 risk threshold so that's why this is news.

I wouldn't be too worried it is the less probable than a roulette wheel coming up for you twice on the trot

However there are some serious questions to be asked over there about how that risk level got exceeded after all if you do it enough times someone will get hurt

[emmie]

Just what i was thinking, though i did laugh thinking it could land on someone, i don't know why i find that remotely amusing, but.........

[rowanwitch]

Scotland is ok it can crash there.... or France.....

[emmie]

RW, now now, let's not upset our friends in the north, as to France, that will do.