Italian satellite debris to hit Indonesia in April

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) warned on Monday that debris from the Italian space satellite BeppoSAX would fall along the equator in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.

The agency said the debris could contain toxic material and urged people to report any findings to local authorities.

Lapan did not give a specific date when satellite pieces were expected to hit the ground, saying only that the debris would fall between 4.4 South and 4.4 North latitude.

The agency also said that anyone touching liquid or inhaling toxic gas from the debris could die immediately.

A warning issued by Lapan on Monday said people could be fatally poisoned due to hydrazine fuel residue and chemical substances from the satellite's battery.

For safety's sake, authorities will declare locations where debris is found as restricted areas.

Officials from the Coordinating Body for Disaster Management and a team of experts will go to the location to take further steps.

Based on data of the satellite's orbit on March 18, BeppoSAX descended from a height of 345 kilometers and is estimated to reach earth on April 19.

The satellite's breakup will be accelerated by increasing solar activity and Lapan will continuously monitor its process.

BeppoSAX weighs about 1,600 kilograms. Recent research concluded that about 47 percent of the satellite will reach soil. The debris will fall over an area spanning 320 km long and 42 km wide. The satellite will reach Earth in 42 pieces, with the largest piece estimated to weigh about 120 kilograms.

The space agency emphasized that although it could identify the area where the material would fall, it could not pinpoint the exact locations.

This is mainly because of the difficulty of observing material fall at high speed from a height of 120 km. The speed of falling material is estimated to be between 60 km and 460 km per hour. If satellite debris enters the atmosphere at night, it will appear like a falling meteor.