Article

2015-03-03 Science & Technology

US military satellite explodes above Earth

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Posted by Hupineger Glomomp52169 2015-03-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top

#1 Or it could have struck something, there's lots of junk out there.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2015-03-03 00:37|| 2015-03-03 00:37|| Front Page Top

#2 if the debris isn't in the same orbital plane, then likely was a hit from junk coming in at an extreme angle. If it just splodeyed, then the tendency would be for the debris to maintain at least a partial relationship to the plane.

Posted by OldSpook 2015-03-03 00:43|| 2015-03-03 00:43|| Front Page Top

#3 Blew up over Antarctica.

At the predicted event time of 1723 UTC, the DMSP payload was over Antarctica, source

Posted by 3dc 2015-03-03 01:44|| 2015-03-03 01:44|| Front Page Top

#4 Discussion link

Posted by 3dc 2015-03-03 01:47|| 2015-03-03 01:47|| Front Page Top

#5 Junior scout Grm!qx---what do you know about this?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2015-03-03 06:52|| 2015-03-03 06:52|| Front Page Top

#6 Must have been caused by the light from Venus being refracted through the hole in the ozone layer.
Or Global ~~Warming~~ Climate Change.
(Or it ran into a stray energy beam. Note no wreckage scattering.)

Posted by ed in texas 2015-03-03 07:29|| 2015-03-03 07:29|| Front Page Top

#7 The missing graphic from the "story" dialog box

Awe shucks you don't have to thank me. You are welcome. I'm just doing my best to be part of Pappys LameGraphicsDivision

And the exploding satellite, well, a new member on the ground control team activated the Orville Redenbacher test sequence and the rest as they say is history. So isn't the satellite.

Posted by Glong Spaing8767 2015-03-03 09:49|| 2015-03-03 09:49|| Front Page Top

#8 Was this one approached by one(US, Rus) of the robot shuttles?

Posted by Skidmark 2015-03-03 10:07|| 2015-03-03 10:07|| Front Page Top

#9 Same model had a similar explosion in 2004. Lithium batts?

Posted by 3dc 2015-03-03 10:43|| 2015-03-03 10:43|| Front Page Top

#10 Also, not a lot of observers at the south pole.

Posted by 3dc 2015-03-03 10:47|| 2015-03-03 10:47|| Front Page Top

#11 "Yup there goes one more of those American military satellites" - "I wonder if those people over at McMurdo know about this Henry"

Posted by Glong Spaing8767 2015-03-03 11:33|| 2015-03-03 11:33|| Front Page Top

#12 Chinese testing anti-satellite weapons?

How's that for a theory?

Posted by tipover 2015-03-03 12:05|| 2015-03-03 12:05|| Front Page Top

#13 Sudden spike in temperature?
Who just tested a tactical laser weapon, us or China?
Or Russia?

Posted by bigjim-CA 2015-03-03 12:05|| 2015-03-03 12:05|| Front Page Top

#14 Thanks Glong Spaing8767. Now, for extra credit, do you know why I selected that .jpg?

Posted by Hupineger Glomomp52169 2015-03-03 15:47|| 2015-03-03 15:47|| Front Page Top

#15 Well Hupineger Glomomp52169, your from Zip Code 52169, Wadena, Iowa. As a boy, you and your cousin, would sit under clear night skys in Wadena and watch the weather satellites fly by in the night sky.

Posted by Glong Spaing8767 2015-03-03 16:39|| 2015-03-03 16:39|| Front Page Top

#16

Posted by DarthVader 2015-03-03 17:15|| 2015-03-03 17:15|| Front Page Top

#17 It fell into the o-zone hole!
-Al Roker

Posted by swksvolFF 2015-03-03 17:22|| 2015-03-03 17:22|| Front Page Top

#18 http://spacenews.com/battery-likely-the-culprit-in-military-weather-satellite-explosion/

Posted by 3dc 2015-03-03 21:43|| 2015-03-03 21:43|| Front Page Top

#19 “It is not uncommon to have batteries overheat in space and eventually explode,”

I have suffered from the same problem myself. With batteries, I mean. Sheesh.

Posted by SteveS 2015-03-03 21:57|| 2015-03-03 21:57|| Front Page Top

#20 Good find, by the way, 3dc.

Posted by SteveS 2015-03-03 22:12|| 2015-03-03 22:12|| Front Page Top

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