{"id":14441,"date":"2024-02-19T11:00:52","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T11:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1403978"},"modified":"2024-02-19T11:00:52","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T11:00:52","slug":"why-no-one-knows-quite-when-a-descending-satellite-will-hit-earth-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=14441","title":{"rendered":"Why no one knows quite when a descending satellite will hit Earth this week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A satellite will hurtle down to Earth this week and no one knows quite when or where it\u2019s going to land \u2014 but<\/span> there\u2019s no need to worry. In the space sector, this is standard operating procedure. <\/span><\/p>\n

The satellite in question is the European Space Agency\u2019s ERS-2. Launched in 1995, the spacecraft set new standards for Earth observation. It was also an extremely durable machine. Despite an original mission life of just three years, ERS-2 made it to the ripe old age of 15 before its operations were terminated in 2011. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although the satellite was still functioning nominally, ESA initiated a de\u2013orbit to mitigate the proliferation of <\/span>space junk<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a growing threat as <\/span>rocket launches<\/span><\/a> surge.<\/span><\/p>\n

The descent began with a sequence of 66 deorbiting manoeuvres. This consumed all the satellite\u2019s remaining fuel and lowered its average altitude from 785km to 573km, which reduced the collision risks. <\/span><\/p>\n

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ERS-2 was then \u201cpassivated\u201d \u2014 a process that removes the energy sources that could cause fragmentation or explosions. The remainder of the journey was then left to the cosmos.<\/span><\/p>\n

As an uncontrolled re-entry, ESA couldn\u2019t determine the exact date of the return to Earth, but predicted that it would happen within the next 15 years. <\/span><\/p>\n

Thirteen years later, the big day is almost here. ERS-2 has begun plunging into the lower layers of the atmosphere, where it will start burning up. But the precise time \u2014 and location \u2014 of the arrival on our planet remains unclear.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/a>The initial manoeuvres pulled the satellite towards a safer altitude where it would further decay. Credit: ESA<\/figcaption>