It seems the stuff of science fiction and Hollywood –
satellites crashing to Earth – but rather this is the
result of years of scientific and commercial ventures in outer
space, and the subsequent creation of space junk.
NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
(UARS) has fallen out of orbit and is falling
towards the Earth. NASA has confirmed that UARS is expected to
re-enter the Earth's atmosphere on the afternoon of 23
September, Eastern Daylight Time. This re-entry will occur six
years after UARS ended its productive scientific life when it ran
out of fuel in 2005. In other words, UARS is now uncontrollable
space junk.
Most of UARS is expected to break or burn up before reaching the
Earth, but scientists have identified 26 separate pieces of the
satellite that could survive the fall through the atmosphere, and
NASA estimates that debris could therefore fall to Earth over an
area 500 miles long. The largest piece of debris is expected to
weigh over 150 kilograms.
NASA has stated that the debris could land anywhere between the
latitudes of 57 degrees north and 57 degrees south – an
area which covers the whole of Africa, South America, Australia and
most of the populated parts of Europe, Asia and North America. (The
northernmost boundary of this region passes through Scotland,
Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Russia, Alaska and Canada, and the
southernmost boundary is just south of South America.) NASA is
posting regular updates on its website but has said that its
predictions will only become more accurate in the hours before the
debris lands, and has so far confirmed that UARS will not be
passing over North America at its expected time of re-entry.
NASA has calculated that there is a 1-in-3,200 risk to life from
UARS, as debris could hit people, animals and/or buildings when it
reaches the ground.
This note looks at some of the legal and policy issues arising out
of this. Click here.
This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq
Law-Now information is for general purposes and guidance only. The information and opinions expressed in all Law-Now articles are not necessarily comprehensive and do not purport to give professional or legal advice. All Law-Now information relates to circumstances prevailing at the date of its original publication and may not have been updated to reflect subsequent developments.
The original publication date for this article was 22/09/2011.