Falling pieces of satellite unlikey to cause harm

By BobSavich

Look out below! Space debris may soon be falling from the sky.

According to officials, a U.S. spy satellite is likely to hit the earth sometime this month or in early March. Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering Dr. John Prussing explains what happens as the satellite plummets through the earth’s atmosphere.

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“Parts of it will burn up due to the friction of the atmosphere,” Prussing said. “But my understanding is not everything. You know, there’s some very heavy components and there’s very dense ones that may make it all the way down to the ground.”

Officials are concerned that the debris from the satellite may contain unused fuel. This could present a danger to people on earth.

However, Prussing believes it shouldn’t cause personal damage. He said that, more than likely, the fuel will have burned up before entering the atmosphere.

“I kinda think it’s unlikely that it would still be present after the whole re-entry process through the atmosphere,” Prussing said. “The tanks that hold this stuff are not intended to withstand re-entry.”

Officials close to the situation say they have no control over the satellite and are unsure where some debris, if any, will land.