Sweeney
Administrator
Each 'tiny' satellite still weighs 500 pounds
I know that NASA tracks everything they know about up there -- When the shuttle was flying, it would orbit with "engines" forwards so if a random nut, screw, or bolt were to strike it only the engine woudl be damaged and they weren't needed any more. Now ther is a cloud of these satelites. OK, thats overstated. BUt there are still a lot of them.I grew up in the city, and as an adult have had jobs that require me to wake early. So night sky viewing has never been a prioirty. There's only been a few times I've been "awed" by it -- and I can say the first meteorite I've seen just randomly was not that long ago! As I get older, and find myself in a profession that does not require me to get up at 6am anymore --- staying up later to enjoy the views is something I want to do a lot more of! I REALLY want to get back to Northern Michigan this summer...
I just did a quick AI search on this. The 500ish pound star link satellites break up upon re-entry. and are designed to have the largest piece have about 3 joules of energy by the time it reaches a person who happens to be standing in the right place at the wrong time. This is amazing ... 3 Joules would be equivalent to a tennis ball being thrown at you, or (ironically) an apple falling out of a tree...might 'sting' a little at worst.
Speaking of memories, as a kid, I remember when Skylab came down -- they had us all freaking out!!! I remember not wanting to leave the house that day, being convinced it was going to 'kill us all!'