"Uncontrolled ERS-2 Satellite Plunging into Earth's Atmosphere: ESA Alert"

The defunct satellite ERS-2, which served the European Space Agency for 16 years, is projected to make a "natural" reentry to Earth, with the majority of its 2.5-ton mass expected to disintegrate in the atmosphere. The reentry was initially predicted for 12:05 p.m. EST, but the latest update from the ESA suggests a new time of 15:41 UTC (16:41 CET) on February 21, 2024, with an uncertainty of +/- 1.44 hours. The satellite, launched in 1995, provided crucial data for over 5,000 projects, including monitoring polar ice, sea levels, and atmospheric changes. The ESA anticipates the remaining debris to land in a body of water, with the projected reentry point over the Pacific Ocean.