Space Telescope Weighing 1.5 Tons on Verge of Falling to Earth
NASA's telescope on the verge of falling
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
An old telescope owned by the US space agency NASA is on the verge of falling from orbit, following a failed rescue attempt that caused it to sway and descend further.
Most of the telescope, which weighs about 1.5 tons, is expected to burn up as it enters the atmosphere. However, some pieces made of tungsten, which is denser than lead, along with parts of the mirror, may survive re-entry, according to Brad Seckel, the mission’s chief scientist at NASA.
Estimates suggest that any debris remnants will fall into the ocean, but large areas including Africa, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America lie within the telescope’s re-entry footprint.
