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Dead European Satellite Crashes Back to Earth

Comms Week26 Feb 20240 Comments
Dead European Satellite Crashes Back to Earth
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A satellite that has been in orbit for nearly 30 years has fallen back down through the Earth's atmosphere, the European Space Agency (Esa) has said. ERS-2 , the dead European satellite weighing…

A satellite that has been in orbit for nearly 30 years has fallen back down through the Earth's atmosphere, the European Space Agency (Esa) has said.

Dead European Satellite Crashes Back to Earth

ERS-2 , the dead European satellite weighing 5,000lbs, was launched in 1995 to collect data on Earth's land, oceans and polar caps

It finally returned to Earth after ending operations more than a decade ago.

The ERS-2 satellite fell in the North Pacific Ocean somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii last week.

The Esa had previously said the satellite will break up into pieces during re-entry - the majority of which will burn up.

In 2011, Esa retired the still-functioning ERS-2 and began the process of deorbiting.

Throughout its working life, ERS-2 collected data on the Earth's diminishing polar ice, changing land surfaces, rising sea levels, warming oceans, and atmospheric chemistry.

ERS-2 was also called upon to monitor natural disasters, such as severe floods and earthquakes, in remote parts of the world.

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