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Space Junk strikes Village
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A spherical object crashed in the Brazilian village of Anapurus in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, in the early hours of January 22. According to local media and witnesses, the object impacted at around 9:00 UTC (6am local time) and hit some trees close to a house. According to witnesses, the crash looked like lightning and thunder as the object fell from the sky. Locals heard a loud noise – probably a sonic boom. Following the event, residents and local media speculated about the origin of the object. The debris remained at the crash site for several hours before being confiscated by the authorities giving locals a chance to have a look at the object and take pictures. Some Photos can be found here (external link).
It is safe to assume that the item is space debris related to the re-entry of an Ariane 4 Rocket Body. This third Stage was launched in April 16, 1997 and delivered two satellites, Thaicom 3 and BSAT-1A to orbit. Ever since, the vehicle was on a steady track taking it closer and closer to the atmosphere and eventually re-entering. During re-entry, most of the spacecraft burned up, however some components can survive the environment of atmospheric entry and impact the ground. |
Map: Raphael Lorenzeto de Abreu (en.wikipedia.org)
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Final Orbit of the Vehicle
Image: Orbitron
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A look at the Data:
According to USSTRATCOM, the Rocket Stage encountered its orbital decay and with that destructive re-entry at 9:09 UTC +/-1 Minute. This estimate refers to the time the vehicle passed 80 Kilometers in Altitude. From there, it takes about 14 Minutes until surviving components hit the ground. (At an altitude of 10km, the debris have lost their forward momentum and are free-falling.) Usually, these components land 500 to 1,300 Kilometers downrange – heavy, dense objects can keep their momentum longer and thus fly further than lighter items. Assuming orbital decay in the middle of the window (at 9:09 UTC), destructive re-entry would have started at 48°W 4°S – about 545 Kilometers from Anapurus. For Orbital Decay at the start of the window, one minute earlier and at 52.3°W 4.3°S, the Re-Entry point would have been ~1030 Kilometers from the village. The actual landing time of the object has to be estimated well after 9 UTC around the 9:23 UTC Time Frame – again, assuming orbital decay within the Window provided by Space Surveillance. |
Photo: NASA
File Image of a Re-Entering Spacecraft (ATV Jules Verne in 2008)
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The
numbers show that the object has most likely originated from the Ariane
44L Rocket Body. Re-Entries over populated areas are fairly rare as most
of Earth’s surface is either water or unpopulated. Recent Large-Object
Re-Entries (UARS, ROSAT, Phobos-Grunt) have shown that the odds of an
Ocean Landing are fairly high.
Entry Data
Space Command ID: 24770
Launched: April 16, 1997 Re-Entry Prediction: February 22, 2012 - 9:09 UTC +/-1 Minute Inclination: 6.5° Re-Entry Zone: Brazil 
Image: Google Earth
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Image: Heavens Above
Ground Track taking the Vehicle over Anapurus
**Times are not accurate and refer to an orbital Pass** |