NASA satellite expected to crash to Earth in days

September 19, 2011

NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is expected to crash to Earth Sept. 23, plus or minus a day, as of the latest NASA update, Sept. 18.

NASA says the 35-foot-long satellite will crash somewhere between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south latitude — a projected crash zone that covers most of the planet. Although the spacecraft will break into pieces during re-entry, not all of it will burn up in the atmosphere. The debris footprint will be about 500 miles long, NASA says.