Falling satellite may hit Earth

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. officials say a disabled American spy satellite is plummeting toward Earth and will likely hit by late February or early March.

Authorities monitoring the situation say they suspect the lunging device is an experimental imagery satellite built by Lockheed Martin and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in December 2006 aboard a Delta II rocket, The New York Times reported Sunday.

They say shortly after the satellite reached orbit, ground controllers lost the ability to control it and were never able to regain communication.

"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said in a statement.

"Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause."

It is common for satellites to enter Earth's atmosphere, but most break up before they reach land, said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

He added it is often difficult to control the satellite's trajectory or its re-entry into the atmosphere. The debris, if any survives the fiery descent, typically lands in remote areas and causes little or no harm.