"Massive European Satellite ERS-2 Set to Plummet to Earth This Week"

The European Space Agency's retired satellite, ERS-2, launched in 1995, is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere this week, with a small chance of debris hitting the ground. The satellite, which collected climate and atmospheric data, will likely break into pieces, with the majority burning up upon reentry. The agency aims to prevent the satellite from contributing to the growing issue of orbital space junk, which poses potential hazards to other satellites and spacecraft in orbit.