What is Telstar X made of? [br] [originaltext] Government officials have ex

Government officials have expressed anxiety over the decent of Telstar X, a satellite which is slowly reentering the earth’s atmosphere. The satellite is supposed to make its descent sometime within the next several months. Because Telstar X is built of titanium, it is not expected to disintegrate upon reentry. In fact, there are fears that dozens of pieces weighing up to several kilograms could survive the reentry process.
     Although several kilograms sounds like a small amount of material, it must be remembered that when an object from space strikes the earth, the consequences can be disastrous. Many scientists believe that asteroids from space striking the earth may have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Even an object as large as several grams can destroy an entire house. If larger pieces fall on inhabited areas the devastation would be significant.
     The pieces of the satellite are not expected to all land in one area. It is likely that they would be spread out over hundreds of kilometres. This is a dangerous situation in which many homes could be destroyed and many people injured. If we are lucky, the pieces of the satellite will fall over the oceans. Luckily, since the oceans cover almost three quarters of the earth’s surface, there is a good chance of that happening.