A retired Nasa satellite is expected to crash to Earth on Monday, but the US space agency has said the chance of the wreckage falling on anyone is “very low”.
Some components of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite are expected to survive as they re-enter the atmosphere at about 6.40pm EST on Sunday (3.40am GST, Monday).
But officials said most of the 2,449-kilogram satellite would burn up in the process.
The satellite has been retired after operating for nearly four decades in orbit.
The US Department of Defence predicted that it would re-enter the atmosphere at approximately 6.40pm Eastern Standard Time on Sunday (3.40am on Monday, UAE time), with an uncertainty of about 17 hours, Nasa said.
“Nasa and the Defence Department will continue to monitor the re-entry and update the predictions,” the agency said
Over the years, the satellite investigated how the Earth absorbed and radiated energy from the Sun, and made measurements of the stratospheric ozone, water vapour, nitrogen dioxide and aerosols.
A very crowded low-Earth orbit and the growing problem of space junk has caused concern among experts in recent years.
There are more pieces of human-made debris in Earth’s orbit than there are active satellites.
Figures show that there are less than 5,000 active satellites, but Nasa tracks more than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris.
“The increase in launch traffic and the long-lasting nature of space debris in low-Earth orbit is causing a significant number of ‘close encounters’, known as conjunctions, between active satellites and other objects in heavily congested orbits,” the European Space Agency said last year.
While this latest satellite that is falling to Earth may not pose a threat, there have been incidents in the past that caused concern.
In November, remnants of an enormous Chinese rocket — the Long March 5B — fell back to Earth, after making an uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean.
The events caused concern in different parts of the world, including Europe, where the airspace over several airports in Spain was closed as a precautionary measure.
Last year in May, parts of another Long March 5B made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and fell into the Indian Ocean.
In August last year, debris from a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft fell on a sheep farm in rural Australia.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Indika
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
