The Erbs satellite is in free fall towards Earth – Corriere.it

NASA science satellite herbs, in orbit for nearly 40 years and no longer operational, is falling uncontrollably toward Earth and is expected to reenter the atmosphere at night between January 8 and 9. According to the latest calculations available by the US Department of Defense, entry into the atmosphere is expected at 00.40 Italian time on January 9, with a margin of more or less 17 hours.

According to NASA forecasts, the Erbs satellite (Earth radiation budget satellite), It weighs nearly two and a half tons, and must be almost completely destroyed by atmospheric influence, but some fragments could still reach the ground. For the US Space Agency, “a person’s risk is calculated at 1 in 9,400.”

It was launched in 1984 with the shuttle ChallengerThe Erbs satellite was designed to operate for two years, but its operational life was much longer. For 21 years, its instruments have collected atmospheric and climate data, measuring levels of ozone, water vapor and aerosols. Erbs ceased to function in 2005, and are now one of the very many space debris in Earth’s orbit.

The NASA satellite is the latest in a long line of objects falling from space uncontrollably: a phenomenon that is now so common, that experts appreciate itSimilar bouts occur every day or two.