Early risers treated to free light show

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 5, 2007 | by PAM ZUBECK THE GAZETTE

Pieces of a Russian rocket used to launch a French space telescope on Dec. 27 fell to Earth over Wyoming and Colorado on Thursday morning, but no damage or injuries were reported.

The 1st Space Control Squadron, based at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, tracked the re-entry of the SL-4 rocket body. It also was monitored by the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, based at Peterson Air Force Base.

"Air Force Space has primary tracking," NORAD and NorthCom spokesman Navy Lt. Cmdr. Sean Kelly said. "NORAD monitors it and makes sure it's not a threat, and NorthCom monitors it to see where it's going to crash."

In a news release, NORAD and NorthCom said that it's possible pieces of the rocket body broke off during re-entry over states neighboring Colorado.

While one unconfirmed report indicated a piece landed near Riverton, Wyo., at 6:13 a.m. Thursday, NORAD said the most likely areas for the pieces to have fallen are in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico.

Rich Mock was backing out of his driveway at Hodgen and Meridian roads about 6:15 a.m. Thursday when he was treated to "the most amazing natural sky show I've ever seen," he said in an e-mail to The Gazette.

"I saw a streak in the north sky," he said. "It appeared to be traveling north-northeast to south-southwest at the speed of an airplane. I thought I saw a pulsating light in the middle of the streak and thought it might be an aircraft with its landing lights on reflecting off clouds. The streak was about five times the full moon's diameter with about 10 flashing pieces. It reminded me of pictures of the Columbia shuttle disintegrating. I followed it until it disappeared in the southeast sky."

Riverton police Capt. Mark Stone said he was treated to views of a "pretty spectacular" burning object while he was getting his newspaper.

"My first concern is that we had some sort of aircraft that was coming down. It was definitely leaving a burning debris trail behind it," he said.

He said he could tell it was a fairly large object, but it was too high for him to make out exactly what it was.

Jim Siefken of Fort Collins said he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw the streaking lights. "But after another glance it amazed me, the brilliance and magnitude of this event," he told the Fort Collins Coloradoan in a story posted on its Web site.

So far, no damage has been reported and the debris is not believed to be hazardous.

"We encourage anyone who believes that they may know the location of a piece from this rocket to exercise caution and inform their local authorities immediately for potential recovery operations," a NORAD release advised. Kelly said objects routinely drop from space but usually fall into the ocean. "Out of 213 things that came back to Earth last year, one came over the United States," he said. "It's routine that the rocket would come down. It's unusual it would come down over the U.S."

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0238 or pam.zubeck@gazette.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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This story was posted 11:15 a.m. Thursday at gazette.com