ROSAT X-ray space telescope in final spiralling orbits around Earth

ROSAT X-ray space telescope in final spiralling orbits around Earth

The massive ROSAT X-ray space telescope is making its final spiralling orbits around Earth. Most experts agree that re-entry will occur during the early hours of Oct. 23rd over a still-unknown region of our planet. Meanwhile, the satellite can still be seen slicing

ROSAT Satellite: Uncontrolled Re-Entry on Oct. 22 or 23

ROSAT Satellite: Uncontrolled Re-Entry on Oct. 22 or 23

Another huge piece of space debris, a 2.6-ton, defunct German telescope called the Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT), will crash back to Earth Saturday or Sunday (Oct. 22 or 23), and the chances it will hit someone are even greater this time around. The odds are 1-in-2,000

ROSAT’s re-entry between Oct. 22nd and 24th over an unknown part of Earth

ROSAT’s re-entry between Oct. 22nd and 24th over an unknown part of Earth

The ROSAT X-ray observatory, launched in 1990 by NASA and managed for years by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), will return to Earth within the next two weeks. Current best estimates place the re-entry between Oct. 22nd and 24th over an unknown part of

Orbital debris and satellite re-entry

Orbital debris and satellite re-entry

Orbital debris is any man-made object in orbit about the Earth which no longer serves a useful purpose. Approximately 19,000 objects larger than 10 cm are known to exist. The estimated population of particles between 1 and 10 cm in diameter is approximately 500,000….

Second big satellite set to resist re-entry burn-up, ROSAT to fall in October

Second big satellite set to resist re-entry burn-up, ROSAT to fall in October

There is more space junk headed our way next month. A defunct German space telescope called ROSAT is set to hit the planet at the end of October – and it even is more likely than UARS to cause injury or damage in populated areas.NASA calculates a 1-in-3200 chance

German satellite could collide with Earth in late 2011

German satellite could collide with Earth in late 2011

A German satellite called ROSAT weighing 2,426 kilograms (nearly 3 tons) is expected to crash from the sky in late 2011, according to calculations made by the German Space Agency, commonly known by the German acronym DLR. “We expect the satellite to re-enter the