Categories: Satellites

UARS Update: Satellite Fell in Pacific Ocean

UARS satellite at 22:56 on Sept. 22, 2011, as seen from Puerto Rico. Credit: Effrain Morales Rivera.

[/caption]
NASA has confirmed that it’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth on Sept. 24 between 03:23 GMT and 05:05 GMT (11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. EDT Sept. 24.) The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California said the satellite entered the atmosphere over the North Pacific Ocean, off the west coast of the United States. The precise re-entry time and location of any debris impacts are still being determined. NASA is not aware of any reports of injury or property damage.

NASA will provide more information during a media telecon at 18:00 GMT (2 p.m. ET) to discuss the re-entry.

Artist concept of the UARS Satellite in orbit. Credit: NASA

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy has been with Universe Today since 2004, and has published over 6,000 articles on space exploration, astronomy, science and technology. She is the author of two books: "Eight Years to the Moon: the History of the Apollo Missions," (2019) which shares the stories of 60 engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make landing on the Moon possible; and "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos" (2016) tells the stories of those who work on NASA's robotic missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Follow Nancy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nancy_A and and Instagram at and https://www.instagram.com/nancyatkinson_ut/