Satellite weighing more than two tons fell on Earth; No damage reported

(CNN) — A satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere over the North Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Hawaii on Wednesday afternoon and according to the agency, there are no reports of any damage so far.

The agency’s Space Debris Office, along with an international monitoring network, monitored and tracked the ERS-2 Earth observation satellite throughout February to make predictions about re-entry, which occurred Wednesday at 12:17 p.m. ET . ESA provided frequent live updates on its website.

About 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, atmospheric drag caused the satellite to break up and most of the pieces were expected to burn up in the atmosphere. The agency said it was possible that some fragments may have reached the planet’s surface, but the fragments contained no harmful substances and likely fell into the ocean.

The exact timing was unclear even in the days before re-entry due to the unpredictability of solar activity, which can alter the density of Earth’s atmosphere and how the atmosphere pulls the satellite. Solar activity is increasing as the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, called solar maximum. Solar maximum is expected to occur later this year.

Accelerating the re-entry of ESA’s Aeolus satellite in July 2023 is already having an impact on the Sun’s increased activity.

According to the agency, the ERS-2 satellite had an estimated mass of 5,057 pounds (2,294 kg) after exhausting fuel.

“Uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere has long been a common method of disposing of space objects at the end of their missions,” Tim Flohrer, head of the agency’s space debris office, said in a statement. “We see objects of similar or larger size to ERS-2 re-entering the atmosphere several times a year.”

An illustration shows ESA’s ERS-2.

History of ERS-2

The ERS-2 Earth observation satellite was first launched on April 21, 1995 and was the most sophisticated satellite of its type developed and launched by Europe at that time.

Along with its twin, ERS-1, the satellite collected valuable data about the planet’s polar caps, oceans and land surfaces and observed disasters such as floods and earthquakes in remote areas. According to the agency, the data collected by ERS-2 is still used today.

“The ERS satellites have provided a stream of data that has changed our view of the world we live in,” Simonetta Cheli, director of the agency’s Earth Observation Program, said in a statement. “They have provided us with new knowledge about our planet, the chemistry of our atmosphere, the behavior of our oceans, and the impacts of human activity on our environment, creating new opportunities for scientific research and applications.”

In 2011, the agency decided to end operations of the satellite and deorbit it, rather than adding to the spiral of space debris orbiting the planet.

The satellite performed 66 deorbit maneuvers in July and August 2011 before the mission officially ended on September 11. The maneuver consumed the satellite’s remaining fuel and reduced its altitude, causing ERS-2’s orbit to move closer to Earth on a slow spiral trajectory and re-enter the atmosphere within 15 years.

According to the agency, the chance of a person being injured by space debris each year is less than 1 in 100 billion, which is about 1.5 million times less than the risk of dying in a crash at home.