ASTRONOMERS have just over two weeks to stop NASA from crashing the Compton
Gamma Ray Observatory into the Pacific. They say the satellite should be good
for five or more years, but NASA has given them only until 16 February to make a
case that it can be kept safely aloft.
NASA’s plan to scuttle Compton in March follows the failure of one of the
observatory’s gyroscopes. If a second gyro fails, engineers may not be able to
control its eventual descent. And that would risk spraying an inhabited area
with debris
(Â鶹´«Ã½, 22 January, p 5).
“It’s going to be a damn shame…
