Possible Pending Satellite Collision Tomorrow...

-K2-

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Two satellites, NASAs Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and GGSE-4, could collide over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday. They're supposedly at an altitude of 560 miles (which means they are screaming fast in speed). The estimated distance between the two will be (if all things go well) 50-100'/15.2-30.5m. They're stating it is a 1:100 chance they'll hit. Since they're not in control of them any longer, it's all up to chance.

Here's the attention deficient video: Two satellites could collide over Pennsylvania on Wednesday

Here is Leo Labs Site: LeoLabs which announced the warning. Check their 'services' page for what they offer.

Here is a site I routinely visit which shows all you might want to know: Stuff in Space
There you can actually see the trajectory, speed, altitude and so on of each.
IRAS's track: Stuff in Space , currently traveling at 7.4 km/s or 26,640km/hr. or 16,553.3 miles/hr.
GGSE-4's track: Stuff in Space , currently traveling at 7.4 km/s or 26,640km/hr. or 16,553.3 miles/hr.

If they hit head on (which their tracks look like), that means an impact speed of: 45,280 km/hr. or 33,106.6 miles/hr. Though a lot of the material (I'm guessing) would vaporize, what about the parts that don't?

Can you say Gravity?



K2
 
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Must be pretty concerning for folks in Pittsburgh.

Well, there is no danger to them, but the potential for generating debris could turn the whole thing into a big problem... instead of tracking two objects you now need to track thousands.

K2
 
Well, there is no danger to them, but the potential for generating debris could turn the whole thing into a big problem... instead of tracking two objects you now need to track thousands.

K2
It's good there's no danger but there's enough debris up there already. One of these days some of our junk will hit and take out other important satellites. We really need to clean up our act.
 
Well, we can't even decently cleanup our mess 560 miles lower.
It probably will not get much priority considering the huge costs to retrieve just 1 piece of obsolete space-junk.
For the time being we will keep shooting them up at a alarming faster rate than getting them down, despite the known hazard of escalating collisions.
Typical. Will humankind ever learn?

Anyway, latest update says it will be a near miss.
 
That's it then.

All that debris will no doubt crash into all the telephone satellites and we'll be plunged into a Covid filled communication nightmare.

There'll be rioting in the streets because no one can get news updates and the power grids will all go out of sync for the lack of control.

Traffic systems will fail and every junction in the western world will be set to green causing multiple accidents and chaos.

Looking on the bright side.

We're all doomed.

Bugger! They missed.
 

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