A new study published by the European Space Agency (ESA) has revealed groundbreaking findings about the fiery demise of the Aeolus satellite. The satellite, launched in 2018, was designed to measure global wind patterns from space, but its mission was tragically cut short when it plunged back to Earth in April 2023.

The ESA study revealed that, rather than breaking up in the atmosphere, Aeolus experienced what is known as a “re-entry flash.” This phenomenon occurs when a satellite re-enters the atmosphere at a very high speed and is subjected to intense heating, resulting in an aerial flash of light. The study concluded that Aeolus likely maintained its structural integrity throughout the entire re-entry process, ensuring that the pieces that reached the ground were much smaller than the size of an average hand and thus posed no risk to humans or property.

The findings of this study are significant, as they demonstrate that current standards for re-entering spacecraft are effective in ensuring the safe return of satellites to Earth.

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source: Phys.org