A satellite may be falling apart in geostationary orbit

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - A satellite may be falling apart in geostationary orbit (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 7/2/2017 9:50:20 PM EDT

Source

"On the morning of June 17, the Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES lost control of a large satellite in geostationary space, nearly 36,000km above the Earth's surface. Shortly after, the satellite operator began working with another company that specializes in space situational awareness to track the drifting machine, AMC-9. A few days ago that company, ExoAnalytic Solutions, saw the AMC-9 satellite begin to fragment.

"We have seen several pieces come off of it over the past several days," ExoAnalytic's chief executive officer, Doug Hendrix, told Ars. "We are tracking at least one of the pieces. I would hesitate to say we know for sure what happened.""

The following video is amazing. You will see a blob at the bottom of the satellite eventually drift away. Assumption: Part of the spacecraft broke off. There may be several fainter objects near the main object as well.

The satellite is a point of light and the streaks are stars that you get with a short time exposure.

Rough cut video of AMC-9 satellite on Friday night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ebIAUjFfZM

Posted: 7/2/2017 9:56:55 PM EDT

[#1]

Given all the junk in orbit, I'm sure this happens all the time.

Posted: 7/2/2017 9:57:46 PM EDT

[#2]

Dibs!

Posted: 7/2/2017 9:59:30 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
Given all the junk in orbit, I'm sure this happens all the time.

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I do not believe that is correct...at least not in geosynchronous orbit.

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:01:06 PM EDT

[#4]

"The AMC-9 communications satellite launched in 2003 aboard a Russian Proton rocket."

Whooo Hooo!!!

Not one of mine!!!!!!

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:01:08 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
I do not believe that is correct...at least not in geosynchronous orbit.

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View All Quotes

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Given all the junk in orbit, I'm sure this happens all the time.

I do not believe that is correct...at least not in geosynchronous orbit.

not all the junk up there stays geosynchronous.

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:09:21 PM EDT

[#6]

Devo Space Junk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFCU_Ld9snU

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:11:35 PM EDT

[#7]

Maybe one of the North Korean rockets will take it out and save us all.

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:12:54 PM EDT

[#8]

If you live in a home with a basement you may want to sleep there for a few days while this situation unfolds. Hard to tell where the debris will fall. Make sure your premier is secure as well.

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:15:17 PM EDT

[#9]

They're using our own satellites against us. The clock is ticking.

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:22:41 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
Maybe one of the North Korean rockets will take it out and save us all.

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Or they caused it......

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:26:41 PM EDT

[#11]

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:28:07 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you live in a home with a basement you may want to sleep there for a few days while this situation unfolds. Hard to tell where the debris will fall. Make sure your premier is secure as well.

View Quote

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:48:36 PM EDT

[#13]

Are starting a betting pool on where this sucker lands?

Posted: 7/2/2017 10:54:50 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
Are starting a betting pool on where this sucker lands?

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Somewhere in the ocean is a safe bet.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:08:49 PM EDT

[#15]

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Quoted:

Somewhere in the ocean is a safe bet.

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7 out of 10 times, you're right! Better than Vegas odds.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:14:59 PM EDT

[#16]

If it in geostationary orbit, will the pieces appear to fall straight down?

[And for the brainiac who is about to respond with a serious answer, it was a joke.]

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:17:44 PM EDT

[#17]

Shades of Skylab

Attached File

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:17:45 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Are starting a betting pool on where this sucker lands?

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It will remain in that orbital region. Ideally they will be able to boost it higher into a graveyard orbit but that may not happen if they cannot control it.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:21:44 PM EDT

[#19]

Watching the video, based on years of watching Star Trek reruns, it looks to be cruising about Warp 4.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:24:12 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you live in a home with a basement you may want to sleep there for a few days while this situation unfolds. Hard to tell where the debris will fall. Make sure your premier is secure as well.

View Quote

I can never tell is stuff like this is sincere, or parody.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:26:01 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Are starting a betting pool on where this sucker lands?

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I'm betting Russia

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:31:46 PM EDT

[#22]

If the other blobs passing it were in geosynchronous orbit, then it appears it's losing speed and not quite geosynchronous any more

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:35:57 PM EDT

[#23]

Well by golly if it's the one that provides my directv then they're gonna have to credit me however long it's down.

I ain't gonna pay for service I can't get.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:38:28 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
If the other blobs passing it were in geosynchronous orbit, then it appears it's losing speed and not quite geosynchronous any more

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Very observant. The mean motion is about 0.0005 revs/day less than geosynchronous.

Posted: 7/2/2017 11:46:18 PM EDT

[#25]

AMC-9 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Posted: 7/3/2017 12:00:45 AM EDT

[#26]

AMC 9 was a military/commercial satellite in a stationary orbit/

there were flashes on the satellite prior to falling apart.

Looks like someone ws target shooting with a laser.

Posted: 7/3/2017 12:04:38 AM EDT

[#27]

some day we're gonna have to figure out a way to clean up all this shit if we wanna continue with space flight. i can't even imagine how.

Posted: 7/3/2017 12:07:12 AM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
AMC 9 was a military/commercial satellite in a stationary orbit/

there were flashes on the satellite prior to falling apart.

Looks like someone ws target shooting with a laser.

View Quote

Wouldn't micrometeorite impacts appear much the same? Small high energy collisions?

Posted: 7/3/2017 12:12:38 AM EDT

[#29]

Posted: 7/3/2017 12:13:13 AM EDT

[#30]

I hope this doesn't kick off the Kessler Syndrome. We may already be too late and it's just a waiting game.

Also, won't it take hundreds of years to naturally decay from geosynchronus orbit back to Earth?

Posted: 7/3/2017 12:16:45 AM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:

Wouldn't micrometeorite impacts appear much the same? Small high energy collisions?

View Quote

<--[eta: me, not JSteensen. was drunk posting]

Yes, but the impacts would likely be very close to co-incident. It's difficult to imagine a space shotgun that would single out a satellite for multiple impacts without being unavoidably of necessity knocking on the doors of its nearest neighbors, GSO [geo stationary orbit] being the most crowded space in our heavens.

Posted: 7/3/2017 1:42:59 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Maybe one of the North Korean rockets will take it out and save us all.

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you mean, the one they aimed at Kansas?

Posted: 7/3/2017 1:44:53 AM EDT

[#33]

The satellite was 'pulsing,' meaning it was probably spinning.

Propellant tank explosion, I betcha.

Posted: 7/3/2017 1:51:29 AM EDT

[#34]

Quote History

Quoted:
The satellite was 'pulsing,' meaning it was probably spinning.

Propellant tank explosion, I betcha.

View Quote

This, it was rotating. Explosion or just leak, or if it's one with reaction wheels perhaps that system failed.

Posted: 7/3/2017 1:57:35 AM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
AMC 9 was a military/commercial satellite in a stationary orbit/

there were flashes on the satellite prior to falling apart.

Looks like someone ws target shooting with a laser.

View Quote

Watching it the flashes more reminded me of a rotating vessel in orbit. I'm wondering if it's lost attitude control.

Posted: 7/3/2017 2:08:22 AM EDT

[#36]

Sucks for you.......sorry.

Posted: 7/3/2017 2:24:50 AM EDT

[#37]

Quote History

Quoted:
some day we're gonna have to figure out a way to clean up all this shit if we wanna continue with space flight. i can't even imagine how.

View Quote

Magnets

Posted: 7/3/2017 2:42:36 AM EDT

[#38]

The Army was running a lot of traffic over AMC-9. This fucked up a lot ongoing testing on many different high profile programs that would surprise you.

Posted: 7/3/2017 3:42:04 AM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:
some day we're gonna have to figure out a way to clean up all this shit if we wanna continue with space flight. i can't even imagine how.

View Quote

When I left my former employee one of the programs we were working on for Orbital ATK was a "space tugboat" that would be able to dock with, and revitalize, satellites.

Expensive, but cheaper than a new launch.

Posted: 7/3/2017 4:04:55 AM EDT

[#40]

Front fell off.

Posted: 7/3/2017 4:24:02 AM EDT

[#41]

Quote History

Quoted:
I hope this doesn't kick off the Kessler Syndrome. We may already be too late and it's just a waiting game.

Also, won't it take hundreds of years to naturally decay from geosynchronus orbit back to Earth?

View Quote

Millions. And geo is too big for kesslers. .

Posted: 7/3/2017 9:37:26 AM EDT

[#42]

http://spacenews.com/ses-reconnects-with-amc-9-sights-possible-fragments/

Posted: 7/3/2017 9:50:06 AM EDT

[#43]

22,300 miles above the surface.

Posted: 7/3/2017 9:55:04 AM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:
The satellite was 'pulsing,' meaning it was probably spinning.

Propellant tank explosion, I betcha.

View Quote

This was my thought. Everything else going by (not stars) was a constant brightness, but it was flashing and figured it was spinning up crazily.

Posted: 7/3/2017 9:55:43 AM EDT

[#45]

Quote History

Quoted:
22,300 miles above the surface.

View Quote

amazing things that technology can do.
23,000 miles up. science you cray cray!

Posted: 7/3/2017 10:11:07 AM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFCU_Ld9snU

View Quote

Her name was Sally....I never touched her......

Posted: 7/3/2017 10:12:03 AM EDT

[#47]

Looked like it started pulsing after those three objects passed by.

Wonder if it was bumped.

Posted: 7/3/2017 10:16:37 AM EDT

[#48]

Quote History

Quoted:
Very observant. The mean motion is about 0.0005 revs/day less than geosynchronous.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
If the other blobs passing it were in geosynchronous orbit, then it appears it's losing speed and not quite geosynchronous any more

Very observant. The mean motion is about 0.0005 revs/day less than geosynchronous.

That would put it at a higher orbit. Paradoxically, a "falling" satellite will shorten its orbital period, as the lower orbit is shorter for a complete circuit, and gravity accelerates the satellite during the descent.

Also, since there is essentially no atmospheric drag at that altitude, the satellite isn't going to fall to Earth at any time in the near future (i.e. the lifetime of anyone reading this). The orbital velocity for geosynchronous orbit is a bit over 3 km/s, so there will have to be a pretty large change in velocity to change its orbit enough to enter the atmosphere.

Mike

Posted: 7/3/2017 10:17:37 AM EDT

[#49]

Either it was hit or is spinning wildly.

Posted: 7/3/2017 10:18:00 AM EDT

[#50]

Quote History

Quoted:

That would put it at a higher orbit. Paradoxically, a "falling" satellite will shorten its orbital period, as the lower orbit is shorter for a complete circuit, and gravity accelerates the satellite during the descent.

Also, since there is essentially no atmospheric drag at that altitude, the satellite isn't going to fall to Earth at any time in the near future (i.e. the lifetime of anyone reading this). The orbital velocity for geosynchronous orbit is a bit over 3 km/s, so there will have to be a pretty large change in velocity to change its orbit enough to enter the atmosphere.

Mike

View Quote

I always heard 5 million years for a Geo orbit to totally decay.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - A satellite may be falling apart in geostationary orbit (Page 1 of 2)

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