# Mir: How close to TacoBell target? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2001, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773 "2001-03-28T02:34:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/1 "2001-03-28T02:34:33Z")
Taco Bell set up a 40-by-40 foot vinyl target - emblazoned with the company’s logo and the words ``Free Taco Here!’’ - 10 miles off Australia. In the extremely unlikely event that Mir hit the target, the company promised free tacos to all 281 million Americans. How close did the fragments of Mir come to hitting the target? ---
**Author:** ![sethdallob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@sethdallob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethdallob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/2 "2001-03-28T03:18:57Z")
Considering that the debris field was well east of New Zealand, I would say that they were at least off by a few hundred miles; presumably more than 1000… It was a nice publicity stunt though. Maybe if they put that damn chihuahua out on the target the Ruskies woulda cut us a break… ---
**Author:** ![JCThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JCThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/3 "2001-03-28T06:11:27Z")
Does anyone know where I can see some video of the MIR comin’ down - or was it not caught on tape? ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/4 "2001-03-28T11:56:27Z")
I actually thought the whole idea was really really cool and was waiting for the day I would go and get my taco. Then I learned that the target was only 10 miles off the coast of Australia!!! And would have only been hit if something went VERY VERY wrong. Cheap bastard Taco Bell. I don’t have a globe but I think it would be thousands of miles off ---
**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/5 "2001-03-28T15:21:38Z")
[hijack] What I am curious about is how Taco Bell was going to make sure that everyone got a free taco and that some people didn’t get like 3 or 4.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/6 "2001-03-28T16:46:11Z")
Answer: they knew they wouldn’t have to give up any free tacos, since there’s no way in hell Mir would have hit the target. Taco Bell sucks anyway, you can have my free taco. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mir-how-close-to-tacobell-target/59773/7 "2001-03-28T17:03:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JCThunder \* > \*\*Does anyone know where I can see some video of the MIR comin’ down - or was it not caught on tape? \*\* There is some video of Mir passing over Fiji. You can see it [here at CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/space/03/24/mir.salvage/index.html). There’s a video section in that article with a clip.