NASA on Thursday refined the crash course of a six-ton defunct
satellite, saying it is likely to miss North America, though its
exact landing spot remains unknown. The careening space junk,
which NASA insists poses little risk of hurting someone, is
orbiting Earth every hour and a half, and is expected to fall
sometime on Friday. "Re-entry is expected sometime during the
afternoon of September 23, Eastern Daylight Time. The satellite
will not be passing over North America during that time period,"
NASA said its latest update issued Thursday at 7:44 am (1144
GMT). "It is still too early to predict the time and location of
re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become
more refined in the next 24 to 36 hours." More frequent updates
are scheduled for 12, six and two hours before it lands. All but
26 pieces of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) are
expected to burn up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The
surviving chunks will include titanium fuel tanks, beryllium
housing and stainl