The impact with the Earth’s atmosphere should occur this afternoon, at 4.49 pm according to our time zone. The margin of error has been reduced to a maximum of one or two hours, therefore this is the time of the day to keep in mind to record the descent of the Ers-2 satellite which will fall on our planet. After approximately thirty years of operation in space on behalf of ESA, with images taken in every corner of the Earth, the artificial satellite, as big as a bus, has exhausted its function. In reality, Ers-2 has been in free fall since 2011, but only in the last few hours has it significantly approached the atmosphere. The spacecraft now weighs 2,294 kilograms, having lost around 200 kilograms of fuel, but will almost certainly be completely destroyed before arriving on the planet. Earth.
The impact with the atmosphere
ESA, the Space Agency European Union, is updating in real time on its blog the fall of the Ers-2 satellite on our planet. Scientists are unable to give a precise time of impact with the atmosphere. As reported by Corriere della Sera, the uncertainties concern in particular solar activities, which are unpredictable and do not allow precise calculations to be made. Clearly the closer the satellite gets to Earth, the more experts will be able to establish the moment of impact. After thirteen years, therefore, the Ers-2 will be destroyed in the atmosphere terrestrial. In 2011, to help the satellite’s descent, ESA carried out sixty-six maneuvers.
The fuel
This action was necessary to consume all the fuel which had remained in the tank in order to avoid possible explosions during the satellite’s descent phase. Although this choice does not allow scientists to pilot the fall into uninhabited areas of the earth, the risk of Ers-2 catching fire in flight worried ESA more. The chances that the remnants of the satellite could fall to the soil or at sea are very remote.
The fragments of the satellite
The fragments that will be created once the satellite impacts the Earth’s atmosphere, which could weigh up to 52 kilograms, will almost certainly not hit cities or people. The few debris that survive the fall should not cause any problems. Experts have assessed the risk of being hit by the remains of Ers-2: the probability is 1 in 100 billion, therefore infinitesimal.