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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsGerman Satellite Almost Crashed into Beijing
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,812297,00.html01/30/2012
'Directly in its Path'
German Satellite Almost Crashed into Beijing
By Christian Schwägerl
Last October, the German research satellite Rosat plunged into the Bay of Bengal, more than 20 years after it had been launched into orbit. But had it remained aloft for just seven more minutes, it would have landed in Beijing instead, new calculations show.
It was a proud day for German science when, on June 1, 1990, Rosat was launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral. The research satellite was chock full of the most modern technology available, allowing scientists the ability to search the skies for the source of X-ray radiation for the first time.
Rosat didn't disappoint. Originally, it was to remain in operation for 18 months, but ultimately in collected data for almost nine years. The satellite registered tens of thousands of radiation sources, which included distant galaxies and black holes.
In the end, though, Rosat nearly caused what would have been among the worst catastrophes in the history of space exploration. In the night from Oct. 22 to 23 last year, the defunct satellite fell to Earth -- just barely missing the Chinese capital Beijing, population 20 million. According to calculations by the European Space Agency, satellite fragments, travelling at speeds of some 450 kilometers per hour, came perilously close to crashing into the city.
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German Satellite Almost Crashed into Beijing (Original Post)
NNN0LHI
Jan 2012
OP
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)1. In other words....
It would have hit Beijing if it hit Beijing, but it didn't because it didn't.
One less beer and I would have hit the dart board instead of the wall it was hanging on.
DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)2. or one more beer
I find I play much better darts the more beers I have.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)3. And, you get better looking!
zoechen
(93 posts)4. Satellites
Thats 3 of them in about a year.
1 German Satellite
1 Russian Satellite
1 U.S. Satellite
Plus, all the junk that floats around in orbit. The Chinese tested an anti-satellite weapon, all that debris is still in orbit.
Near as I can tell the U.S. has knocked down 2.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/orbital_debris.html
Edit to clarify timeline.