ALBAWABA - The International Astronomy Center has announced that a European satellite, ERS-2, is expected to fall to Earth on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. This satellite, used for remote sensing purposes, was launched in 1995 and went out of service in 2011.
To lower the risk of collision with other satellites, the European Space Agency performed redirections to lower ERS-2's orbit altitude from 785 km to 573 km before its expected reentry.
Despite efforts to control the descent, the satellite's fall is predicted to be uncontrolled, with calculations indicating a possible landing time of 12:10 noon GMT on the specified date, give or take 27 hours.
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Although experts cannot point to the exact location of the satellite's fall until shortly before the event, authorities are closely monitoring the situation. The center has released a map showing the anticipated area of descent and the paths the satellite will pass over during the hours surrounding its reentry.
Engineer Muhammad Shawkat Odeh, director of the International Astronomy Center, emphasized that the satellite's disintegration upon entering Earth's atmosphere will likely result in only a portion of its mass reaching the ground in scattered remnants.
He assured that the expected remnants' mass poses minimal danger to people or property, with the possibility of collision with a person being very small to begin with.
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Shawkat noted that satellite deorbital events similar to ERS-2's are relatively common, occurring nearly every month. The controlled reentries are normally reserved for larger or hazardous satellites, showing the frequency and safety measures surrounding this event.
As Earth's surface is mostly water, the likelihood of satellite remnants making landfall is low.
