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A”dead” satellite is expected to fall to Earth this week

"Since the spacecraft's reentry is cannot be maneuvered, pinpointing the exact location and time of reentry, as well as the start of disintegration, is impossible"

Newsroom February 20 08:05

A European Space Agency (ESA) satellite is anticipated to descend and mostly disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday morning.

The agency’s Space Debris Office, in conjunction with an international surveillance network, is observing and tracing the Earth-monitoring ERS-2 satellite, which is forecasted to undergo reentry at 3:53 p.m. ET Wednesday, within a 7.5-hour period of uncertainty.

The ESA is also offering real-time updates on its website.

“Since the spacecraft’s reentry is cannot be maneuvered, pinpointing the exact location and time of reentry, as well as the start of disintegration, is impossible”, stated the agency.

The precise timing of the satellite’s descent remains ambiguous due to the unpredictable nature of solar activity, which can alter the density of Earth’s atmosphere and affect the satellite’s trajectory.

With the sun nearing its solar maximum, an 11-year cycle peak, solar activity has been escalating, and the maximum is projected to occur later this year.

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After depleting its fuel, the ERS-2 satellite is estimated to weigh 5,057 pounds (2,294 kilograms), placing it in a similar size range as other space debris that reenters Earth’s atmosphere approximately every week, according to the agency.

At an altitude of about 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, the satellite is expected to disintegrate, with the majority of fragments burning up upon reentry.

The agency noted that some remnants may reach the Earth’s surface, but they are unlikely to contain harmful substances and are expected to fall into the ocean.

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