ESA satellite returns to Earth

Mission complete. ESA’s second European Remote Sensing (ERS-2) satellite has reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the North Pacific Ocean. The satellite returned at 18:17 CET (17:17 UTC) between Alaska and Hawaii.
ERS-2 was launched almost 30 years ago, on 21 April 1995. Together with ERS-1, it provided invaluable long-term data on Earth’s land surfaces, ocean temperatures, ozone layer and polar ice extent that revolutionised our understanding of the Earth system.
ERS-2’s reentry was ‘natural’. ESA used the last of its fuel, emptied its batteries and lowered the satellite from its altitude of 785 km to 573 km. This reduced the risk of collision with other satellites and space debris. As a result, it was not possible to control ERS-2 at any point during its reentry and the only force driving its descent was unpredictable atmospheric drag.
As well as leaving a remarkable legacy of data that still continue to advance science, this outstanding mission set the stage for many of today’s satellites and ESA’s position at the forefront of Earth observation.
The ERS-2 reentry is part of ESA's wider efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of space activities. These include ESA's Clean Space initiative which promotes the development of new technologies for more sustainable space missions in collaboration with the wider European space community, as well as the Zero Debris Approach, which will even further reduce the debris left in both Earth and lunar orbits by future missions.
Credits: ESA - European Space Agency
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[@Anna33888]

ESA, beautiful job💙🖌

[@kevinh22]

Great work by ESA!! Hopefully the next satellites will re-enter in a more controlled way and we will have less space junk

[@help-someone-in-requirements]

Great upload, please submit similar contents in the future! Thanks !

[@martinmaxian8880]

Super 👍👍👍👍👍

[@michaelahess1183]

AMAZING thars " my " ESA hand in hand THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤❤❤👍👍

[@user-oo3gu6ct5h]

If that,s an actual representation of the ammount of debri field then we live on a death trap . 🙏😇❤️&Light

[@chukcavigliaok]

🙌

[@icy-saturday]

I wish I could give it a hug

[@KuboF]

You can breath deeply. As it is now part of atmosphere, maybe you catch some it's molecules 😉

[@icy-saturday]

@@KuboF Tysm ☺️

[@huskytail]

ESA 😍

[@zapfanzapfan]

Now go up and fetch Envisat!

[@proesterchen]

You'd think 13 years of waiting for uncontrolled re-entry would've been long enough to spearhead an initiative to develop, test, build, and deploy a spacecraft capable of attaching to ERS-2 (and other satellites) and safely bringing it down in a controlled manner.

[@dissaid]

😎😎😎