NASA satellite crashes in Sahara Desert

NASA's RHESSI solar flare satellite, launched in 2002, disintegrated over the Sahara desert after plummeting into Earth's atmosphere. The 660-pound spacecraft spent 16 years studying highly-energetic particles ejected from the Sun during intense outbursts caused by the release of magnetic energy. Although mostly burnt up, some components of the space junk may have survived the journey and could be scattered somewhere over the Sahara desert. RHESSI observed the Sun longer than its 11-year solar cycle and recorded over 100,000 solar flares, providing scientists with clues on how the Sun generated coronal mass ejections.