Re: Spy satellite unscheduled de-orbit



Rupert Goodwins wrote:

It's probably a photo reconnaissance satellite weighing around 20,000
lbs. I guess a lot of that will make it down...


Going to be a big mirror Frisbeeing down somewhere.
I'm interested in the "hazardous materials" part of the report.
I assume they mean hydrazine, but replacing the solar arrays with RTGs could make a satellite more stealthy, by decreasing its brightness in the sky.
If that's the case, this could be a real public relations disaster, similar to the Soviet RORSAT with the nuclear reactor on it that fell onto the Great Slave Lake in Canada.

Pat

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