A photo taken in space shows a large dead satellite tumbling to a fiery end in Earth's atmosphere.
Australian commercial imaging company HEO Robotics was able to capture images of the European Space Agency's (ESA) ERS-2 Earth Observation Satellite as it plummeted towards Earth on February 14, 2024. ERS-2 (European Remote Sensing 2) was launched in 1995 and observed the Earth from space for 16 years until the mission ended in 2011. ESA carried out dozens of deorbit operations over two months that year and began bringing in ERS-2. Aiming for a safe end in the Earth's atmosphere. The end of the story will finally come this week.
In an update posted on Sunday (February 18), ESA announced that the rental ERS-2 will arrive on Wednesday (February 21) at 10:19 a.m. ET (15:19 GMT) plus or minus approx. It is scheduled to be held at 19:00. This uncertainty is due to the “unpredictable effects of solar activity that affect the density of Earth's atmosphere,” which could change how much drag the satellite encounters as it falls. ESA states. It's still too early to tell where it will fall, but we'll have a better idea as we get closer to reentry.
Related: Dead large European satellite will crash to Earth this month
Such a reentry maneuver is completely normal and safe, ESA writes in a FAQ sheet explaining ERS-2's reentry. ERS-2 had already exhausted its remaining fuel during her 2011 deorbit operation, and the descent was carefully planned to avoid colliding with other spacecraft or space debris.
“De-orbiting end-of-life satellites and ensuring their re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere will keep busy space highways away from decommissioned remnants, prevent in-orbit collisions, and reduce the risk of further space debris.” “This is a fundamental measure to reduce the occurrence of In Frequently Asked Questions.
ERS-2 was “the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft ever developed and launched by Europe,” ESA officials wrote. The satellite weighs 5,047 pounds (2,294 kg) in its current empty state, which is quite large for space debris.
But re-entries of objects of that size are not uncommon these days. According to ESA's FAQ, pieces of space junk of similar mass burn up in Earth's atmosphere every few weeks.
When ERS-2 reaches about 50 miles (80 km) above Earth, it is expected to break into small pieces, most of which will burn up in the atmosphere. Some of it may reach the surface, but it is expected to fall into the ocean. “These debris do not contain any toxic or radioactive materials,” the ESA wrote.
