World IN BRIEF : SOVIET UNION : Spacecraft Falls Out of Control

A Soviet spacecraft is tumbling out of control and will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere within a few weeks. But it should burn up and pose little threat to anyone on the ground, the Soviet Glavkosmos space agency said. It said the Salyut 7 space station is likely to re-enter in late January or early February, but its trajectory is impossible to predict. Salyut 7, precursor of the current Mir space station, was launched in 1982. Glavkosmos said the spacecraft’s fall was caused by unexpectedly high solar activity, which slowed its orbiting speed.