[Main General Bulletin Board | BBFAQ | Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ] Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos Orbital dynamics are a lot more complex than that Like This Post: - Subscribe to Daily Digest for this Bulletin Board Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Fri, 5 Jan 2007 05:25:57 In Reply to: Mystery rock falls from sky in NJ and the ISS orbit..., MM, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 15:26:44 Alert me when someone posts in this thread: Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup

It's not like something 'dropped' out of the ISS would fall straight down. If that were true, what's keeping the space station in orbit? "Open the window" on the ISS and push out a chunk of metal, and it will just sit there, pacing you. In order to get it to come to earth, you'd need to decelerate it - you'd need to 'open the window' and throw it backwards. And you'd need a pretty good pitching arm - a few thousand MPH decel would be needed.

Most likely it was one of the tens of thousands of objects that are in orbit right now (or one less, now). Bits of rocket boosters from 1977, old satellites, etc. Lots of stuff 'deorbits' on a semi-regular basis. Mostly it burns up, but a chunk could make it through.

My guess is that it was a chunk of metal that got lodged in the engine nacelle of a passing airliner, and finally rattled out. It's not like no aircraft fly over NJ.


posted by 192.249....

• Mystery rock falls from sky in NJ and the ISS orbit..., MM, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 15:26:44
  • Mystery Solved, Steve G , Fri, 5 Jan 2007 20:19:26
    • I kinda figured it was by looking at the pics..., Street, Sat, 6 Jan 2007 13:14:46
  • FAA said it wasn't from an aircraft..., Street, Fri, 5 Jan 2007 17:00:40
    • Re: FAA said it wasn't from an aircraft..., oldsaab, Fri, 5 Jan 2007 18:37:12
      • but which one..., Street, Sat, 6 Jan 2007 13:17:29
  • Orbital dynamics are a lot more complex than that, Ari , Fri, 5 Jan 2007 05:25:57 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Re: Mystery rock falls from sky in NJ and the ISS orbit, AeroDave, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 19:14:43
    • Actually a few hours before 9PM, TonyM, Fri, 5 Jan 2007 05:02:43
    • Re: Mystery rock falls from sky in NJ and the ISS orbit, MM, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 20:24:29
      • Re: Mystery rock falls from sky in NJ and the ISS orbit, Landjet , Thu, 4 Jan 2007 20:41:23
        • Wasn't from Rudolph, probably from Comet. LOL n/m, Street, Fri, 5 Jan 2007 16:56:12
        • Re: That works for me! n/m, AeroDave, Fri, 5 Jan 2007 05:54:36

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