| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10998278 | Journal of Space Safety Engineering | 2015 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
Pre-dawn sightings of a fireball over Spain on November 3, 2015, and the subsequent discovery of three composite overwrap pressure vessel (COPV) spheres and other suspected space debris, pointed to a re-entry as the cause. The resource of record for re-entries is the USSTRATCOM (U.S. Strategic Command); however, its Space Track web site reported neither predictions nor historical data that correlated with the events in Spain. The mystery was solved by estimating the orbital elements from the fireball sightings and positions of the debris, and finding a matching object in the orbital data of independent sources. The re-entering object was the Centaur upper stage with the international designation 2008-010B, and the USSTRATCOM catalogue number 32707.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
Ted Molczan,