Near miss from space junk.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=24657

Flaming space junk narrowly misses jet

28th March 2007, 11:15 WST


Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly
missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.


The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago,
Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at
Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the
sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his plane about 10pm
last night.

According to a plane spotter, who was tuning into a high frequency radio
broadcast at the time, the pilot "reported that the rumbling noise from the
space debris could be heard over the noise of the aircraft.

More at link above.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrote:


The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between
Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic
controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk
hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his
plane about 10pm last night.

How did he see stuff behind him?

--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:52:49 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly
missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.

So would the Russians been culpable for downing the Chilean airliner
if their "Russian Roulette" flight had been impacted by the Russian
space debris?

Larry Dighera wrote:
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:52:49 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit
narrowly missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.

So would the Russians been culpable for downing the Chilean airliner
if their "Russian Roulette" flight had been impacted by the Russian
space debris?

Probably, since they quoted a different de-orbit time than really happened.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrote:
The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between
Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic
controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk
hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his
plane about 10pm last night.

"Dan Luke" wrote:
How did he see stuff behind him?

In his rear view mirror, of course!
;-)

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between Santiago,
Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic controllers at
Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space junk hurtling across the
sky just five nautical miles in front of and behind his plane about 10pm
last night.

How does he know how far away it was? Does the Airbus have radar that
would measure the distance? It would be impossible to tell visually.

RomeoMike wrote:
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between
Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic
controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space
junk hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of
and behind his plane about 10pm last night.

How does he know how far away it was? Does the Airbus have radar that
would measure the distance? It would be impossible to tell visually.

Maybe he timed the difference from when he saw it and when he heard it. Hell
I don't know I'm just passing the story along.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
RomeoMike wrote:
Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

The pilot of a Lan Chile Airbus A340, which was travelling between
Santiago, Chile, and Auckland, New Zealand, notified air traffic
controllers at Auckland Oceanic Centre after seeing flaming space
junk hurtling across the sky just five nautical miles in front of
and behind his plane about 10pm last night.

How does he know how far away it was? Does the Airbus have radar that
would measure the distance? It would be impossible to tell visually.

Maybe he timed the difference from when he saw it and when he heard it.
Hell I don't know I'm just passing the story along.


Those things are so fully equipped these days, he might have seen it on his
radar, or perhaps a collision avoidance system, hard to say. They may even
be able to replay the collision avoidance and radar data now days. I would
think some collision avoidance could be targeted aft. It would be
interesting to know.

Got any airline pilots out there anywhere? In the things I fly you are lucky
to have gps, unless you bring your own.

"Larry Dighera" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 28 Mar 2007 10:52:49 -0500, "Gig 601XL Builder"
wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in
:

Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit narrowly
missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.

So would the Russians been culpable for downing the Chilean airliner
if their "Russian Roulette" flight had been impacted by the Russian
space debris?


Yes, that was decided by treaty some time ago - your country launches it,
you are responsible for what it does.

But, five miles = "narrowly missed"????????

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

But, five miles = "narrowly missed"????????

For outer space? Yes.

Jose
--
Get high on gasoline: fly an airplane.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.