Space Satellite UARS Adrift And Heading For Earth

A nearly 6-ton satellite is heading toward Earth and could crash into the planet as early as Sept. 24, NASA officials said.

The UARS -- short for Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite -- has been in orbit since the space shuttle Discovery launched it in 1991, but it's gradually coming closer and closer to the ground as it encounters friction from the upper reaches of the atmosphere.

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