ESA's Space Debris Office, along with its international monitoring network, is closely monitoring the trajectory of the Earth observation satellite ERS-2. The satellite is expected to fall to Earth at 6:14 a.m. ET Wednesday (6:14 p.m. ET Wednesday), with a margin of error of 15 hours. ESA is also providing live updates on its website.
Because the satellite's re-entry into the atmosphere was natural, no manoeuvres could be performed, making it impossible to determine exactly where and when the device re-entered the atmosphere and began to burn up, according to an ESA statement.
Illustration of the ERS-2 satellite. Photo: ESA
The exact timing of the satellite’s reentry remains unclear due to unpredictable solar activity, which can change the density of Earth’s atmosphere and how it affects the satellite. Last July, for example, increased solar activity accelerated the reentry of ESA’s Aeolus satellite.
The ERS-2 satellite has an estimated mass of 2,294 kg (4,800 pounds) after it runs out of fuel, according to the ESA. At an altitude of about 80 km (50 miles) above the Earth's surface, the satellite is expected to break up and most of the debris will burn up in the atmosphere. The agency said some debris may reach the Earth's surface, but it will not contain any hazardous materials and will most likely fall into the ocean.
The Earth observation satellite ERS-2 was first launched on April 21, 1995. It was the most complex satellite of its kind developed and launched by Europe at that time.
Together with its twin ERS-1, the satellite collected valuable data on Earth’s polar caps, oceans and land surfaces, and observed disasters such as floods and earthquakes in remote areas. According to the ESA, the data collected by ERS-2 is still in use today.
In 2011, ESA decided to decommission the satellite and let it leave orbit. The satellite performed 66 deorbit maneuvers in July and August 2011 before its mission officially ended on September 11 of that year. The maneuvers reduced the satellite's altitude and burned off the remaining fuel, placing ERS-2 in an orbit that slowly spiraled closer to Earth and re-entered the atmosphere over the course of 15 years.
According to the ESA, the chance of a person being injured by space debris each year is less than 1 in 100 billion, about 1.5 million times lower than the risk of dying from an accident at home.
Hoai Phuong (according to CNN)
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