it's science Oct. 18, 2011

Falling German Satellite Has a 1-in-2,000 Chance of Hitting Somebody

By Dan Amira

Last month, a defunct NASA satellite hurtling towards Earth was given an estimated 1-in-3,200 chance of striking a person when it broke apart upon reentry (it fell harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean). Now a German satellite, ROSAT, is expected to crash to Earth sometime over the next week, but this one has a 1-in-2,000 chance of landing on somebody, because it has more components that are large and heat-resistant and German. [Fox News, USAT]

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Falling German Satellite Has a 1-in-2,000 Chance of Hitting Somebody

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