WASHINGTON — A huge weather satellite will crash back to earth and NASA is watching it very closely. The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is coming in faster than expected and is due to scream through the atmosphere any time between Thursday and Saturday, ABC Radio reports. Most of the satellite will burn up as it comes through the earth’s atmosphere. But because it’s so big — about the size of a school bus — and because some of the pieces are made of titanium and stainless steel, NASA said about 26 chunks, ranging in size from about a pound to over 300 pounds, will survive re-entry and crash down. What makes NASA nervous is that the chunks could crashing anywhere — into an open field, an ocean or on top of someone’s house. There will only about two hours’ notice of the likely path and NASA won’t have an idea where it will strike the planet until the last moment. NASA said there’s one chance in 3200 that someone will get hit by a chunk of the satellite. However NASA also said your chance of getting knocked on the head by one of the pieces is one in a trillion.
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 4 p.m.
