According to CNN and other media reports, ESA said in a statement that it expects the ERS-2 satellite to re-enter the atmosphere at 6:14 a.m. EDT (8:14 p.m. EDT on July 21). However, the ESA said it is difficult to know the exact time and location of the satellite due to the unpredictability of solar activity that affects atmospheric density, adding that it is continuously monitoring the movement of the ERS-2 satellite because there could be an error of about 15 hours in the time of re-entry. ESA added, “The ERS-2 satellite is currently falling toward Earth from 200 kilometers above,” adding, “If it enters the atmosphere, it will decompose from 80 kilometers above and most of the debris will burn up due to frictional heat.” ESA emphasized that some debris may fall, but it will contain no harmful substances and most of them are expected to fall into the sea. ESA added that considering fuel consumption on board so far, the weight of the satellite will be about 2.294 kilograms, which is similar to that of the Iros satellite that re-entered the atmosphere in July last year. ESA said that the probability of an individual being injured due to a space waste drop is less than one billionth of a billionth, 1.5 million times lower than the probability of dying in an accident at home.
The ERS-2 satellite launched by ESA on April 21, 1995 for Earth observation was decided to end its mission and go out of orbit to re-enter the atmosphere in 2011. ESA officially ended its mission on September 11, 2011 after revising its orbit to allow re-entry into the atmosphere within the next 15 years after 66 maneuvers in July 2011. ESA said that the re-entry of an end-of-life satellite into the atmosphere is natural and that the movement of the ERS-2 satellite can be confirmed through the ESA website.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
