OMG! Satellite falling to Earth

- A European satellite that ran out of fuel

will start falling in the next few days, and

fragments of the disintegrating 2,000-pound

spacecraft are expected to strike the Earth's

surface.

Nobody knows where or when the fragments will

hit, but the European Space Agency has said the

parts are likely to fall into the ocean or

unpopulated areas. Potential spots will be

narrowed down closer to re-entry, ESA said on its

website.

Re-entry probably will occur Sunday or Monday,

Rune Floberghagen, mission manager for the

Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Explorer,

better known as GOCE, told the New York Times.

GOCE was launched in 2009 to map variations in

the Earth's gravity in 3D, provide ocean

circulation patterns and make other

measurements.

ESA's website said the satellite "became the first

seismometer in orbit" in March 2011 when it

detected sound waves from the earthquake that

struck Japan.

GOCE was expected to fall much earlier but fuel

consumption was less than expected. In August,

the satellite's altitude was lowered to about 139

miles, lowest of any research satellites, to improve

the accuracy of the information being gathered,

ESA's website said.

GOCE ran out of fuel October 21. On November 4,

ESA's website said the satellite was orbiting the

Earth at 119 miles and the rate of descent would

increase significantly in coming days.

Source: CNN