Part of a rocket and its cargo of two dead satellites crashed back to Earth last weekend. Up to 8 kilograms of the hardware may have survived re-entry. The satellites—NASA’s High Energy Transient Experiment (HETE) and the Argentine SAC-B satellite—were designed to scan space for bursts of gamma rays. Both were launched from Virginia in 1996, but the final stage of the rocket failed to release them and they both died of power failure days later. NASA launched a replacement HETE-II satellite in 2000.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
Test moderators use AI-generated writing to judge literacy standards
News
Mind
THC in cannabis may reduce nightmares in people with PTSD
News
Environment
Fishers detonate a bomb every hour on one Indonesian coral reef
News
Environment
How bad is the UK drought and how long will it continue?
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles