Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Germany's space agency, now predicts that its ROentgen SATellite (ROSAT) X-Ray observatory will deorbit sometime between Friday, October 21 and Monday, October 24. Much of the X-ray satellite will burn up in the atmosphere, although 30 pieces are expected to survive reentry. The largest single fragment could weigh up to 1.7 tons. Aerospace engineers from Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) used the company's analysis and visualization software to create this video depicting:
- ROSAT in its current orbit
- The satellite's ground track
- Its burn-up in reentry
- Statistical debris break-up model
- Estimated size of debris region
Although it is too early to predict the time and location of the re-entry, DLR says that predictions of the time period will become more refined as the date of reentry draws nearer.
As DLR's ROSAT satellite nears reentry, go to DLR's website (
http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10432/620_read-830/) to get the most current updates.
Aerospace engineers from Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) used the company's analysis and visualization software to create this video depicting: ROSAT in its current orbit and burn-up in reentry.
IN ALL USES, COURTESY "ANALYTICAL GRAPHICS, INC."
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Want to see where the UARS is in a Google Earth window?? Check out this AGI blog entry:
http://blogs.agi.com/agi/
