WASHINGTON (AP) -- A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and propulsion and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday.

The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said.

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Hmmm. Hazardous materials. Highly unlikely. What would be likely is if this claim were being made to keep 'visitors' away from the crash site until any secrets can be secured. Wonder if it's one of the Keyholes? That would certainly be a prize to any foreign government. It'll be a race to see who gets there first in any case.

I didn't used to care about these things - living largely outside the normal orbit trajectories, but that may not be true anymore. Skylab rained down over Western Australia, and I'm certain the U.S. government would classify anything outside Sydney as 'sparsely populated'.