On Wednesday eve , the European Space Agency ’s ( ESA ’s ) European Remote Sensing 2 ( ERS-2 ) orbiter will re - move into the Earth ’s atmosphere , just under 13 years after its mission terminate .
ERS-2 was launched in April 1995 , an ground - supervise satellite task with monitoring our planet ’s sea temperatures , winds , polar ice rink , and changing landscape . The artificial satellite was also used to monitor natural disasters in hard - to - reach areas . The orbiter pioneered engineering in use by the next generation of satellite , including a radio detection and ranging altimeter that paved the way for the surgical procedure ofCryoSat , dedicated to monitor the satellite ’s ice levels .
" Back when ERS-2 was launched the notion of climate variety was far less appreciated and understand than it is today , " the ESA tell in astatementabout ERS-2 ’s final journey , " but the ERS missions give scientists the information that helped us to start to understand the impact that humans are having on the major planet . "
As its 16 - class foreign mission conclude , ESA lowered the orbiter ’s altitude from 785 kilometers ( 487 miles ) to 573 kilometre ( 356 miles ) to lower the chances of collisions with other infinite object .
" In 2011 , after almost 16 years of operations , ESA took the decision to institute the deputation to an end . A series of deorbiting manoeuvre was carried out to moo the satellite ’s average height and mitigate the risk of collision with other artificial satellite or quad debris , " theESA explains . " The satellite was also passivated to slim down the risk of fragmentation . "
Fuel - less , ERS-2 go along to revolve Earth , but thanks toatmospheric dragis now fix to crash to Earth on Wednesday evening . The satellite , which is being tight monitored as it constitute its lineage , is due to reenter the Earth ’s atmosphere at20:53 UTC , though unpredictable solar activity means that the error margin is + / – 7.48 hour . Whenever it happens , the satellite ’s fate is sealed .
" After 13 years of orbital decay , primarily drive by solar activity , the satellite will now of course reenter Earth ’s atmosphere , " theESA explained , adding that risk to the populace is very downhearted , and that much of the satellite will cut up on re - entry .
