NASA: Satellite Fell in Remote South Pacific

Scientists think UARS picked the perfect spot
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 28, 2011 1:50 PM CDT
NASA: Satellite Fell in Remote South Pacific
This screen grab image provided by NASA shows UARS in 1991.   (AP Photo/NASA)

Now that NASA's had time to crunch the numbers regarding last weekend's falling satellite, it has a pretty good idea of where it splashed down—in the middle of nowhere in the South Pacific. The dead UARS craft entered the atmosphere generally above American Samoa, according to the new calculations, and parts began hitting the water 300 miles away, southwest of Christmas Island, reports the AP. The northwestern parts of Canada and the US were safe all along.

"It's a relatively uninhabited portion of the world, very remote," says one NASA scientist. "This is certainly a good spot in terms of risk." (More NASA stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X