After 30 years in orbit, an out-of-control satellite entered the Earth’s atmosphere

The device shattered into pieces

An out-of-control European satellite falls to Earth after 30 years in orbit. ERS-2 breaks up into pieces and falls into the ocean after re-entering our planet’s atmosphere.

An out-of-control satellite re-entered Earth’s atmosphere somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii on Wednesday, astronomers confirmed.

The European satellite, known as ERS-2, entered the atmosphere at 5:16 pm on Wednesday after nearly 30 years in orbit, the European Space Agency said. It is believed to have been smashed into pieces, with most of it being burned and the remains falling into the ocean below.

When it launched in 1995, Eck said ERS-2 “was the most advanced Earth observation spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe” and revolutionized our understanding of the climate crisis.

“It gives us new insights into our planet, the chemistry of our atmosphere, the behavior of our oceans and the impact of human activities on the environment,” said Mirko Albani, head of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Heritage space program.

The satellite was decommissioned in 2011, and the European Space Agency decided to “de-orbit it” to reduce the chance of a collision with another probe.

Photos of the satellite rapidly approaching the atmosphere were released by ESA on Monday. The images were taken between January 14 and February 3, when ERS-2 was still above 300 km (186 miles) altitude.

The satellite was approaching Earth at a rate of more than 10 km (6 miles) per day, with its rate of descent increasing rapidly in its final hours. When it reached approximately 80 km, it is believed that it began to collapse and then burned. The exact timing has been difficult to predict due to unpredictable atmospheric conditions that can increase or decrease the satellite’s drag, as well as the probe’s tumbling motion.

The vast majority of the moon is likely to have burned up, and any remaining fragments are expected to be scattered somewhat randomly across an ocean expanse hundreds of kilometers long and tens of kilometers wide.

“The risks associated with the return of the satellite are very low,” the European Space Agency said.

“It is worth emphasizing that none of the elements that may be re-entered into the atmosphere are radioactive or toxic,” Albani said.

Dr James Blake, from the University of Warwick’s Center for Space Science, said: “There are currently thousands of active and defunct satellites orbiting the Earth, and ERS-2 is the latest to complete the reverse leg of its journey, re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere. This is the fate that awaits rogue satellites and debris that can no longer withstand the gravitational forces created by the Earth’s atmosphere – indeed, operators are advised to speed up the return of their defunct satellites to keep space free for future missions.”