From: d_cortesi@yahoo.com   
      
   In article <04Ojc.12892$eZ5.7904@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>,   
    "Carey Sublette"  wrote:   
      
   > ...an interstellar probe is...performing a very high speed fly-by...   
   > A unique observation mode that only a probe could carry out is having a   
   > chunk of probe hit the planet's atmosphere and collect data...   
      
   This seems a very careless and possibly disastrous plan.   
   What would be the ground effect of an object moving at   
   an appreciable fraction of C, grazing the atmosphere of Earth?   
      
   Considerable heat and other radiation - forest fires,   
   sonic overpressure sufficient to shatter structures - and   
   if by some small error, it should impact the surface?   
      
   If there was intelligent life below such a fly-by, would   
   it be able to recognize it as a "probe" and not an "attack"?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)