Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




TECH SPACE
European science satellite to break up late Sunday
by Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) Nov 09, 2013


Fragments from a science satellite are likely to crash to Earth late Sunday or early Monday after the one-tonne probe breaks up at the end of its mission, the European Space Agency (ESA) said on Friday.

In a statement, the agency said when and where the pieces would land was still unclear.

Experts have previously said the statistical risk to humans is remote.

Several dozen fragments totalling around 200 kilos (440 pounds), or about the weight of car engine, will survive contact with the atmosphere, according to computer models.

The Gravity Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite was placed in orbit in 2009 on a mission to monitor variations in gravity and sea levels.

The sleek, finned craft ran out of fuel on October 21, leaving it without power to maintain its altitude in low orbit, where there are still lingering molecules of air.

"Reentry of GOCE into Earth's atmosphere is predicted to occur during the night between Sunday and Monday," ESA said on Friday.

"Break-up of the spacecraft will occur at an altitude of approximately 80 km (50 miles). At the moment, the exact time and location of where the fragments will land cannot be foreseen."

GOCE was launched in March 2009 at an altitude of 260 kilometres (160 miles) -- later lowered to 224 km -- the lowest ever for a research satellite.

The 350-million-euro ($465-million) mission has lasted twice as long as its initially-scheduled 20 months.

According to ESA spacecraft operations manager Christoph Steiger, most of the 5.3-metre-long (17.2-foot) spacecraft will burn up.

The chances of a human being hit were about 65,000 times lower than getting struck by lightning, he said in October.

In more than half a century of spaceflight, there have been no casualties from man-made space debris, despite about 20-40 tonnes impacting somewhere on Earth each year, Steiger said.

GOCE was designed and built before 2008, when international recommendations were adopted that a scientific satellite must be able to execute a controlled reentry, or burn up completely after its mission.

.


Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








TECH SPACE
It's raining satellite: Europe's gravity field explorer to fall back to Earth in two weeks
Moscow (Voice of Russia) Oct 28, 2013
A one-ton European Space Agency satellite, which for four years has being mapping the Earth's gravity, has run out of fuel and will reenter the atmosphere in two weeks. While its descent is constantly monitored, the impact location is still unknown. The ESA's Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), which was launched from Russia in March 2009, managed to spend 2 ... read more


TECH SPACE
Moon mission yields clues to face of 'man in the moon'

Shanghai-built lunar rover set for lunar landing

Crowdfunded Lunar Spacecraft Reaches Funding Milestone

LADEE Continues To Settle Into Operational Lunar Orbit

TECH SPACE
Frugal Mars mission launchpad for India in global space market

Mars probe named in honor of 19th century astronomer Schiaparelli

Curiosity Team Working To Understand First Fault Related Warm Reset

Multiple Missions Will Get China Moving On Mars

TECH SPACE
UCF Lands NASA-Funded Center, Linchpin for Future Space Missions

NASA Selects Research Teams for New Virtual Institute

From North Pole to the stars: Russia's thrill-seeking tycoon

A look at recent tech sector IPOs

TECH SPACE
China shows off moon rover model before space launch

China providing space training

China launches experimental satellite Shijian-16

China Moon Rover A New Opportunity To Explore Our Nearest Neighbor

TECH SPACE
Russians take Olympic torch on historic spacewalk

Russia launches Sochi Olympic torch into space

Spaceflight Joins with NanoRacks to Deploy Satellites from the ISS

Crew Completes Preparations for Soyuz Move

TECH SPACE
ASTRA 5B lands in French Guiana for its upcoming Ariane 5 flight

Kazakhstan say Baikonur launch site may be open to Western countries

ESA Swarm launch postponed

Europe's fifth ATV for launch by Arianespace begins its pre-flight checkout at the Spaceport

TECH SPACE
NASA Kepler Results Usher in a New Era of Astronomy

Astronomers answer key question: How common are habitable planets?

One in five Sun-like stars may have Earth-like planets

Mystery World Baffles Astronomers

TECH SPACE
European science satellite to break up late Sunday

New chemistry: Drawing and writing in liquid with light

Cat's eyes: Designing the perfect mixer

Recycling valuable materials used in TVs, car batteries, cell phones




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement