Le satellite Goce va retomber sur Terre : attention aux débris !
Le satellite Goce devrait retomber sur Terre dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi. © ESA /AOES Medialab
Un satellite de l’Agence spatiale européenne doit retomber sur Terre dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi. Si l’essentiel de l’appareil sera détruit à 80 kilomètres d’altitude, quelques débris pourraient quand même toucher la surface du globe. La Protection civile italienne avait fourni en début d’après-midi deux fenêtres horaires pour d’improbables retombées de débris avant d’indiquer que ce risque est désormais exclu.
It’s debris will fall to Earth between Sunday night and Monday morning (20h00 to 08h00 approx) from an altitude of 80 kms. All risk is excluded.
Il pèse près d’une tonne et il évoluait en orbite à 260 kilomètres d’altitude. Après quatre ans de mesure du champ de gravité de la Terre, le satellite de l’agence spatiale européenne (ESA) Goce n’a plus de carburant. Conséquence : il doit retomber sur Terre dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi. Mais pas d’inquiétude pour autant, il devrait se disloquer à 80 kilomètres d’altitude.
It weighs about a tonne and has been in orbit for four years at an altitude of 260 Kms, measuring the field of the Earth’s gravity. However it will run out of fuel tonight.
Lors de son entrée dans l’atmosphère, le satellite se consumera. Selon les prévisions de l’ESA, environ 20% de l’appareil, soit 200 kg de débris, pourraient atteindre la surface du globe. Mais le risque que ces débris retombent sur des zones habitées est considéré comme “très faible” par les experts.
It will break up on re-entry to the Earth’s athmosphere and the ESA predict about 20% or 200kgs could fall to earth. It is unlikely to fall on a populated area. There is about a 250,000 times better chance of winning the lotto than being struck!
About bill
Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer.
The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013.
Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI.
Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug
2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website.
But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien.
The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50.
Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea.
Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
