Aeolus satellite.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing for the “first-of-its-kind assisted reentry” of Aeolus, a weather monitoring satellite.
This wind satellite is currently on its way down to Earth, tugging down by around one kilometer each day from its operating orbit height of 320 km.
According to the official statement, the satellite will most likely reenter the atmosphere towards the end of July or early August.
The ESA decided to undertake this assisted return since Aeolus’ fuel was nearly depleted.
The remaining fuel will direct the satellite on its return to Earth by ESA’s Space Operations Centre in Germany.
The satellite’s descent to a lower orbit of 280 kilometers is mainly determined by solar activity. Solar flares, which are powerful bursts of energy from the sun, may hasten the return process.
Once the satellite reaches an altitude of 280 km, mission control will charge up maneuvers at various stages for optimal reentry.
The initial maneuver will lower the satellite to a height of 250 kilometers. This stage will take several days, and the extra time will allow the teams to check on the satellite’s health and prepare for the next steps in the reentry process.
Following that, four maneuver instructions will send Aeolus down to 150 kilometers.
The last movement command will be sent at a height of 150 kilometers. This will guide Aeolus’ return to Earth.
Many portions of the satellite will burn up when it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere at 80 km, while others will fall into a stretch of ocean immediately below the satellite’s reentry route.
“It has been incredible to see the skill and effort that has gone into preparing this ambitious reentry attempt,” said Tommaso Parrinello, ESA’s Aeolus Mission Manager, in an official release. “We are confident we can succeed with this pioneering effort that will set a new standard for space safety and sustainability now and in the future.”
The Atmospheric Dynamics Mission-Aeolus, or Aeolus, was launched in 2018 as part of a research and technology demonstration mission.
However, it outlived its intended mission life and orbited our globe for about five years. During its tenure, the satellite was critical in sending data to Europe’s meteorological centers, considerably improving weather forecasts.
As per ESA, Aeolus was not designed for assisted reentry; therefore, the satellite would have naturally fallen back to Earth after a few months under normal scenarios.
“This assisted reentry attempt goes above and beyond safety regulations for the mission, which was planned and designed in the late 1990s,” explained Tim Flohrer, Head of ESA’s Space Debris Office.
Flohrer added: “Once ESA and industrial partners found that it might be possible to further reduce the already minimal risk to life or infrastructure even further, the wheels were set in motion. Should all go to plan, Aeolus would be in line with current safety regulations for missions being designed today.”
With this first attempt, ESA is paving the road for safe reentry and “responsible space” — both of which are very important in today’s world to minimize the increasing space debris issue.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, The Weather Channel and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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