The International Astronomy Center has predicted that a large European satellite will fall to Earth next Wednesday, February 21, 2024. The satellite, called ERS-2, was launched in 1995 and was used for remote sensing. It became inactive after its operational lifespan ended in July 2011, and has been adrift in space since then.
The European Space Agency, since 2011, used leftover fuel to conduct 66 maneuvers to lower its orbit from 785 kilometers to 573 kilometers in order to reduce the chances of collision with other satellites. The Center noted that, without this orbit reduction, the satellite could have remained in space for another 100 to 200 years.
According to a report from the International Astronomy Center on "X", "the fall of this satellite will be uncontrolled, and it is expected to occur on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 12:10 PM GMT, with a margin of error of plus or minus 27 hours. This margin will decrease as the date approaches, but even two hours prior to the fall, the exact location and time cannot be accurately predicted."
It was also stated that there will be certain areas predicted for the satellite's fall, and many organizations will closely monitor this event, providing updates as necessary.
The center published a map indicating the expected fall area, showing the green and red lines marking the places the satellite will pass over in the ten hours before and after the predicted time of fall.
According to a statement from the director of the International Astronomy Center, engineer Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, the satellite weighs 2,300 kg, measures 12 meters in length and width (including its solar panels), and is 2.4 meters tall.
