DOCUMENT: Malaysia releases satellite data on missing jet
The Malaysian government on Tuesday released 47 pages of raw satellite data it used to determine the flight path of the missing jetliner.
Almost three months since it went missing en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, no trace of the jet has been found, an agonizing situation for family members stuck between grief and the faintest hope, no matter how unlikely, their loved ones might still be alive.
The mystery disappearance also has nurtured speculation and wild conspiracy theories.
Duncan Steel, a British scientist and astronomer, said some of the data "may" explain the belief that the aircraft went south rather than north, but that further confirmation would take a day or so. But he too was disappointed by the release of the data.
"One can see no conceivable reason that the information could not have been released nine or ten weeks ago. Even now, there are many, many lines of irrelevant information in those 47 pages," he said in an email.
Soon after takeoff, the plane disappeared from commercial radar over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam. The search was initially focused there but gradually shifted to the west of peninsular Malaysia. Authorities say they believe the plane was deliberately diverted from its flight path, but without finding the plane or its flight data recorders have been unable to say with any certainty what happened on board.
-Sapa