2.3-tonne satellite to enter Earth's orbit tonight

(Patria) - The European Space Agency's (ESA) satellite ERS-2 is expected to enter Earth's orbit tonight, and largely burn up in the atmosphere.

The ERS-2 satellite is monitored and supervised by the ESA department responsible for space debris, along with an international surveillance network.

ERS-2 is predicted to re-enter orbit tonight at 21:53 Central European Time, with a period of uncertainty of 7.5 hours.

ESA is providing live updates on its website, CNN reports.

"Since the spacecraft's re-entry is 'natural', without the possibility of performing maneuvers, it is impossible to know exactly where and when it will re-enter the atmosphere and begin to burn up," ESA stated.

The exact time of the satellite's re-entry remains unclear due to the unpredictability of solar activity, which can alter the density of Earth's atmosphere.

As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, known as solar maximum, solar activity increases. Solar maximum is expected to occur later this year.

Increased solar activity already contributed to the accelerated re-entry of ESA's Aeolus satellite in July 2023.

"The ERS-2 satellite has an estimated mass of 2,294 kilograms after its fuel was depleted, making it similar in size to other space debris that re-enter Earth's atmosphere every week," the agency states.

At approximately 80 kilometers above Earth's surface, the satellite is expected to break apart, with most fragments burning up in the atmosphere.

ESA also stated that some fragments might reach the planet's surface, but they will not contain any harmful substances and are most likely to fall into the ocean.

The Earth observation satellite ERS-2 was launched in 1995 and orbited 800 kilometers above Earth. ESA deactivated it in 2011, and it has been gradually descending since then.

In 2023, ESA launched a 'zero debris' charter for space missions from 2030 onwards, signed by over 100 space research organizations.

In July 2023, the European satellite Aeolus made a controlled re-entry to Earth, falling into the Atlantic Ocean.