×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Sunday
08
Mar 2026
weather symbol
Athens 12°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> World

A”dead” satellite is expected to fall to Earth this week

"Since the spacecraft's reentry is cannot be maneuvered, pinpointing the exact location and time of reentry, as well as the start of disintegration, is impossible"

Newsroom February 20 08:05

A European Space Agency (ESA) satellite is anticipated to descend and mostly disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday morning.

The agency’s Space Debris Office, in conjunction with an international surveillance network, is observing and tracing the Earth-monitoring ERS-2 satellite, which is forecasted to undergo reentry at 3:53 p.m. ET Wednesday, within a 7.5-hour period of uncertainty.

The ESA is also offering real-time updates on its website.

“Since the spacecraft’s reentry is cannot be maneuvered, pinpointing the exact location and time of reentry, as well as the start of disintegration, is impossible”, stated the agency.

The precise timing of the satellite’s descent remains ambiguous due to the unpredictable nature of solar activity, which can alter the density of Earth’s atmosphere and affect the satellite’s trajectory.

With the sun nearing its solar maximum, an 11-year cycle peak, solar activity has been escalating, and the maximum is projected to occur later this year.

See Also:

Kurt Cobain: Artificial intelligence reveals how he would be today if he was alive

>Related articles

So, who is actually in charge in Iran after Khamenei’s death? Pezeshkian apologized to the neighbors, but the attacks continued

Israel strikes Tehran’s oil facilities and Lebanon – “Consensus reached on the new Supreme Leader,” say Iranian media (videos) (Update)

Trump: Maybe there won’t be any Iranian leader left alive to say “we surrender” (video)

After depleting its fuel, the ERS-2 satellite is estimated to weigh 5,057 pounds (2,294 kilograms), placing it in a similar size range as other space debris that reenters Earth’s atmosphere approximately every week, according to the agency.

At an altitude of about 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth’s surface, the satellite is expected to disintegrate, with the majority of fragments burning up upon reentry.

The agency noted that some remnants may reach the Earth’s surface, but they are unlikely to contain harmful substances and are expected to fall into the ocean.

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#earth#satellite#science#space#world
> More World

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Message from Mitsotakis for International Women’s Day: Zero tolerance for gender-based violence, creating opportunities at work

March 8, 2026

George Prokopiou: His ships defy the missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, as Onassis & Niarchos once did, writes the Wall Street Journal

March 8, 2026

So, who is actually in charge in Iran after Khamenei’s death? Pezeshkian apologized to the neighbors, but the attacks continued

March 8, 2026

Israel strikes Tehran’s oil facilities and Lebanon – “Consensus reached on the new Supreme Leader,” say Iranian media (videos) (Update)

March 8, 2026

Trump: Maybe there won’t be any Iranian leader left alive to say “we surrender” (video)

March 8, 2026

Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits Ioannina

March 8, 2026

Alarm in the Strait of Hormuz upgraded to “Extreme Risk” – Sailors killed and escalation of attacks on shipping

March 7, 2026

The US sent supersonic B-1 bombers to Britain, a move that may signal the “major strike”

March 7, 2026
All News

> World

So, who is actually in charge in Iran after Khamenei’s death? Pezeshkian apologized to the neighbors, but the attacks continued

The apologetic stance of the Iranian president and the references to autonomous initiatives by the army and the Revolutionary Guards were followed by new attacks on Gulf states, revealing internal disagreements within the regime

March 8, 2026

Israel strikes Tehran’s oil facilities and Lebanon – “Consensus reached on the new Supreme Leader,” say Iranian media (videos) (Update)

March 8, 2026

Trump: Maybe there won’t be any Iranian leader left alive to say “we surrender” (video)

March 8, 2026

Alarm in the Strait of Hormuz upgraded to “Extreme Risk” – Sailors killed and escalation of attacks on shipping

March 7, 2026

The US sent supersonic B-1 bombers to Britain, a move that may signal the “major strike”

March 7, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα