{"id":788598,"date":"2024-09-08T10:28:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-08T15:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=788598"},"modified":"2024-09-08T10:28:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-08T15:28:51","slug":"esas-salsa-cluster-2-satellite-making-controlled-reentry-over-pacific-ocean-on-september-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=788598","title":{"rendered":"ESA\u2019s Salsa (Cluster 2) satellite making controlled reentry over Pacific Ocean on September 8"},"content":{"rendered":"


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After 24 years of studying Earth\u2019s magnetosphere, the ESA\u2019s Salsa satellite from the Cluster mission is on course to reenter the atmosphere in a controlled descent. The reentry, scheduled for 18:48 UTC, on September 8, 2024, is part of a broader effort by the ESA to mitigate space debris risks by ensuring the satellite disintegrates safely over the South Pacific.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the four satellites from the European Space Agency\u2019s (ESA) Cluster mission, Salsa (Cluster 2), is scheduled to re-enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean at 18:48 UTC on September 8. This re-entry is significant being ESA\u2019s first-ever \u201ctargeted\u201d satellite reentry from an eccentric orbit.<\/p>\n

The Cluster mission, which began in 2000, focused on studying Earth\u2019s magnetosphere, the magnetic field that shields the planet from solar winds. Salsa, weighing 550 kg (1 200 pounds), has contributed to this research for 24 years. <\/p>\n

The satellite is expected to mostly disintegrate during reentry, with only 10% of its mass potentially surviving. ESA has planned the satellite\u2019s reentry to occur over an uninhabited stretch of the South Pacific, minimizing any risk to human life or property.<\/p>\n

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Here’s what we expect will happen to the 550 kg Salsa satellite on 8 September, during a \u2018targeted reentry\u2019 in Earth\u2019s atmosphere, a first-of-its-kind manoeuvre pic.twitter.com\/x6ZGUZnybd<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ESA Cluster (@ESA_Cluster) August 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Image credit: ESA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Image credit: ESA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Teams at ESA\u2019s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Germany and Easter Island have been preparing for the re-entry. Scientists involved in an airborne observation experiment are on-site, aiming to capture the event from a plane flying at an altitude of 10 km (6.2 miles). <\/p>\n

The final stages of preparation included a series of tests on the plane\u2019s instruments, conducted across multiple stops, including Australia, New Zealand, and Tahiti.<\/p>\n

Initial uncertainty about the exact time of reentry, due to variations in atmospheric drag during Salsa\u2019s final low perigee passes has reduced. After a tense moment when Salsa failed to respond following its last close pass to Earth, teams were able to restore communication. A deep power loss in its solar arrays caused the satellite to reboot, but it has since returned to normal for its final orbit.<\/p>\n

ESA\u2019s Flight Dynamics team used radiometric data and telescope observations to determine the reentry time and location with high precision.<\/p>\n

Currently, there is only a two-minute window of uncertainty for Salsa\u2019s reentry. Further monitoring of the satellite is ongoing, with additional data being collected by the Estrack ground station in Kourou, French Guiana.<\/p>\n

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