The Sky Is Falling

The failing U.S. spy satellite that is in a decaying orbit and will soon crash somewhere on the surface of the planet looks to be zeroing in to hit a landmass somewhere in the North American continent. Exact impact point is not yet known, but sources in the U.S. military are narrowing it down and have contingency plans in place to handle any damage, loss of life or destruction caused by the debris. They also want to ensure they are among the first on the scene to recover any classified data and hardware before it falls into civilian or even enemy hands. This plan will include participation by the military’s U.S. Northern Command, Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, who heads up the U.S. Northern Command, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the size of the satellite suggests that some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere and will hit the ground.

“We’re aware that this satellite is out there,” Renuart said. “We’re aware it is a fairly substantial size. And we know there is at least some percentage that it could land on ground as opposed to in the water.” Renuart added that, “….it looks like it might re-enter into the North American area.”

Exact location or locations for impact sites won’t be well defined until closer to the actual event. The spy satellite is expected to make landfall sometime in late February or early March of this year.