Old NASA Satellite To Hit Earth In A Day Or Two

A 38-year-old NASA satellite that has been retired is on its way to falling from the sky and hitting the ground.

The likelihood of wreckage landing on someone, according to NASA, is “very low.” According to NASA, the majority of the 2,450 kilograms (5,400 pounds) satellites will burn up during re-entry. However, certain components should survive.

According to the space agency, there is a 1-in-9,400 chance of being hurt by falling debris.

The Defence Department predicts that the science satellite will come down Sunday night.

The Aerospace Corp., based in California, is aiming for Monday morning, following a trajectory that crosses across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the westernmost regions of North and South America.

Aboard the space shuttle Challenger, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, or ERBS, was launched in 1984. The satellite continued to measure ozone and other atmospheric variables despite having a two-year anticipated operating life. It was retired in 2005. The satellite observed how the planet’s surface radiated and absorbed solar radiation.

Challenger gave the satellite a special sendoff. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, used the shuttle’s robot arm to launch the satellite into orbit. Kathryn Sullivan made history on that same mission by being the first American woman to walk in space. Two female astronauts travelled in orbit together for the first time ever.