The ERS-2 satellite will reenter Earth's atmosphere after 28 years

ERS-2, which was one of the most advanced satellites at the time of its launch in 1995, will return to Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday, after having seen 2011. European Space Agency After he decided to end the mission and remove it from orbit.

It is difficult to predict the exact time when ERS-2 will reenter Earth's atmosphere, 28 years away. It is only known that it will happen on Wednesday, but there is a time window of about 10 hours.

The weight of the ERS-2 is estimated at 2,294 kilograms after running out of fuel It must catch fire When it is about 80 kilometers from the Earth's surface.

The European Space Agency said that some fragments may reach the surface of the planet, but they will not contain harmful substances and are likely to fall into the ocean.

The probability of a person being injured by space debris is Less than 1 in 100 billionThat's about 1.5 million times lower than the risk of dying in an accident at home, the European Space Agency reports.

One of the most advanced satellites of its time

ERS-2 was launched on April 21, 1995, and at the time was one of the most advanced satellites of its kind ever produced and launched in Europe.

For 16 years he studied and collected valuable data – which is still used today – around the world Polar ice caps, oceans and the Earth's surface.

In 2011, the agency decided to end operations of ERS-2 and remove it from orbit, after it officially ended its mission on September 11 of that year. The maneuvers performed then put the satellite on a slow approach path to Earth in order to reenter the atmosphere.