Near miss from space junk.

Google found this report

By Emma O'Brien

March 29 (Bloomberg) -- A Lan Airlines SA aircraft flying over the
Pacific Ocean on its way to New Zealand came within 40 seconds of
being hit by a debris from a falling Russian satellite, the Dominion
Post said, citing aviation authorities.

The pilot of the Chilean plane, which was traveling to Auckland from
Santiago on March 27, alerted Auckland air traffic controllers after
he saw a flaming pieces of space junk fall 10 kilometers (6.2 miles)
in front of and behind the aircraft, the newspaper said.

The material came from a Russian satellite that was being dumped back
to earth 12 hours ahead of schedule, according to the Post. Airways
New Zealand, which provides air navigation services, was warned a
satellite would fall to earth some time on March 28, the newspaper
said.

New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority will investigate the incident,
the newspaper said, citing communications manager Bill Sommer. Lan
Airlines declined to comment on the incident when contacted yesterday,
according to the Post.

Gig 601XL Builder wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote:
Pieces of space junk from a Russian satellite coming out of orbit
narrowly missed hitting a jetliner over the Pacific Ocean overnight.

""On Christmas eve," said NORAD, "a Soviet Sputnik hit Africa."
India, Venezuela.
Texas, Kansas.
It's falling fast.
Peru, too.
It keeps coming.
It keeps coming.
It keeps coming...
And now I'm mad about space junk."

Matt Roberds

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=24657


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


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10431449

"However, Nasa said today it was convinced the flaming objects were not from
a satellite and space experts said it could have been a meteor."

"Richard" wrote in
:


"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=24657


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


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10431449

"However, Nasa said today it was convinced the flaming objects were
not from a satellite and space experts said it could have been a
meteor."


Phwaaawh1 You don't want to pay any attention to what the New Zealand
Herald says. They'r efull of crap! I know..


bertie

"Bertie the Bunyip" wrote in message
.130...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10431449

"However, Nasa said today it was convinced the flaming objects were
not from a satellite and space experts said it could have been a
meteor."


Phwaaawh1 You don't want to pay any attention to what the New Zealand
Herald says. They'r efull of crap! I know..


Same story from Associated Press.
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007...0715_20_15.txt

"Richard" wrote in news:460bfe6e$1
@news.orcon.net.nz:


"Bertie the Bunyip" wrote in message
.130...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...id=1&objectid=
10431449

"However, Nasa said today it was convinced the flaming objects were
not from a satellite and space experts said it could have been a
meteor."


Phwaaawh1 You don't want to pay any attention to what the New Zealand
Herald says. They'r efull of crap! I know..


Same story from Associated Press.

Mmm, OK. Actualy, I've been pretty close to space junk coming down
myself on a few occasions. the most spectaculaor was the first, over
central Africa. It was like a meteorite, except much slower and
incredibly bright. Glowed bright green and lit up the dusk sky to the
left of the airplane like a lightning bolt. No way of telling how far
away it was, but it was definitely much higher than we were when it
ended it's pyrotechnics. This was the brightest one I've seen, but I
have seen others. As I said, they look just like shooting stars, but
it's the obvious speed difference and length of the burn as well as the
weird colors that distinguishes them..

Bertie

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 18:35:59 +0000, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

Mmm, OK. Actualy, I've been pretty close to space junk coming down myself
on a few occasions.

I've occasionally been within a couple of planetary diameters of space
junk. Worrisome. I've heard what those astronauts use instead of toilets.

- Andrew