A European Space Agency satellite is expected to re-enter and burn up in Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday morning.
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Space Debris Office, together with an international surveillance network, is monitoring and tracking the ERS-2 Earth observation satellite, which is scheduled to make its re-entry to Earth on Wednesday morning. (21), with a margin of error of 15 hours.
ESA also provides real-time updates on your Web site.
“As the re-entry of the spacecraft is 'natural', without the possibility of performing maneuvers, it is impossible to know exactly where and when it will re-enter the atmosphere and begin to burn,” according to a statement from the agency.
The exact timing of the satellite's reentry remains unclear due to the unpredictability of solar activity, which can change the density of Earth's atmosphere and how the atmosphere attracts the satellite.
As the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, known as solar maximum, solar activity increases. Solar maximum is expected to occur later this year.
The sun's increased activity has already had an impact on accelerating the reentry of ESA's Aeolus satellite in July 2023.
The ERS-2 satellite has an estimated mass of 2,294 kilograms after running out of fuel, making it similar in size to other space debris that re-enters Earth's atmosphere every week or so, according to the agency.
About 50 miles above Earth's surface, the satellite is expected to break up and most of the fragments will burn up in the atmosphere. The agency said some fragments may reach the planet's surface, but will not contain harmful substances and will likely fall into the ocean.
History of ERS-2
The ERS-2 Earth observation satellite was first launched on April 21, 1995, and was the most sophisticated satellite of its kind at the time to be developed and launched by Europe.
Together with its twin, ERS-1, the satellite collected valuable data about the planet's ice caps, oceans and land surfaces and observed disasters such as floods and earthquakes in remote areas. The data collected by ERS-2 is still used today, according to the agency.
In 2011, the agency decided to end the satellite's operations and remove it from orbit, rather than add to the maelstrom of space debris orbiting the planet.
The satellite performed 66 deorbit maneuvers in July and August 2011, before the mission officially concluded later that year, on September 11.
The maneuvers used up the last of the satellite's fuel and lowered its altitude, putting ERS-2's orbit on a trajectory to slowly spiral closer to Earth and re-enter the atmosphere within 15 years.
The chances of a person being injured by space debris each year are less than 1 in 100 billion, about 1.5 million times lower than the risk of dying in a domestic accident, according to the agency.
Source: CNN Brasil
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