NASA: 6-ton satellite hits Earth; location unknown

NASAs dead 6-ton satellite plunged to Earth early Saturday, but more than eight hours later, US space officials didnt know just where it hit. They thought the fiery fall was largely over water and the debris probably hurt no one.The agency did not give a more specific location in a midday update on its website, which also said officials were not aware of any reports of injuries or property damage. Most of the spacecraft was believed to have burned up.The bus-sized satellite first penetrated Earths atmosphere somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, according to NASA and the US Air Forces Joint Space Operations Center. But that doesnt necessarily mean it all fell into the sea.NASAs earlier calculations had predicted that the 20-year-old former climate research satellite would fall over a 500-mile (800-kilometre) swath and could include land.Because the plummet began over the ocean and given the lack of any reports of people being hit, that gives us a good feeling that no one was hurt, but officials didnt know for certain, NASA spokesman Steve Cole said.The two government agencies said the 35-foot (11-metre) satellite fell sometime 0323 GMT and 0509 GMT Saturday, but with no precise time or location.There was rampant speculation on the Internet and Twitter, much of it focusing on unconfirmed reports and even video of debris from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite over Alberta, Canada.Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said the spacecraft entered the atmosphere around 1615 GMT over the coast of Washington state. He said much of the debris likely fell over the Pacific Ocean, though its trajectory suggests some of it could have fallen over more heavily populated areas in the US and Canada, including Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Calgary, Alberta; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.Pieces are falling off of this flaming fire ball, and some of it has enough momentum to go hundreds of miles, he said.Cole said that was possible because the last track for the satellite included Canada, starting north of Seattle and then in a large arc north then south. From there, the track continued through the Atlantic south toward Africa, but it was unlikely the satellite got that far if it started falling over the Pacific.Cole said NASA was hoping for more details from the Air Force, which was responsible for tracking debris.But given where the satellite may have fallen, officials may never quite know precisely.Most space debris is in the ocean. Itll be hard to confirm, Cole said.