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Space Junk to Hit Earth Tomorrow

Ammonia tank chucked from ISS expected to break up in atmosphere

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 1, 2008 3:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – NASA is tracking a fridge-sized chunk of space trash expected to plunge to Earth tomorrow night, Space.com reports. The ammonia tank was thrown overboard from the International Space Station over a year ago and has been slowly descending since. NASA says it's highly unlikely that anybody will impacted by the debris but people should be wary of any strange objects they find.

"It is a large object and pieces will enter and we just need to be cautious," NASA's space station program manager said. "If anybody found a piece of anything on the ground Monday morning, I would hope they wouldn't get too close to it." The tank—the biggest piece of trash ever jettisoned from the station—was thrown overboard after engineers planned a route that would minimize the risk to spacecraft and to Earthlings below.

Space station crew member Clayton Anderson, left, and astronaut Rick Mastracchio, top, work outside the space station during a space walk Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

Astronauts venturing out on the first spacewalk of Endeavour's space station mission, March 13, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA-TV)

American astronaut Rex Walheim works on the Columbus module connected to the International Space Station, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

Space station crew member Clayton Anderson, left, and astronaut Rick Mastracchio work outside the space station with Earth in the background during a space walk Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007. (AP Photo/NASA TV)

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Ammonia tank chucked from ISS expected to break up in atmosphere

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

NASA • astronauts • International Space Station • spacewalk • space debris • outer space

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

NASA Spots 'Alien Matter' From Beyond Solar System

Interstellar cloud unlike anything else ever analyzed

NASA Puts Sale of Apollo 13 Checklist on Hold

Astronaut Lovell sold it for $388K, but he may not own it

World's Biggest Plane to Rocket People into Space

Paul Allen project might be ready for tests in 2016

NASA OKs First Private Space Station Trip

SpaceX will send up cargo in February

NASA Puts Out Call for Astronauts

Though it'll be a looong time before you get into space

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Newser By Users

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What is Newser?