Debris from NASA's retired satellite from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) mission will soon re-enter the atmosphere.
After nearly four decades in space, the decommissioned Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) is anticipated to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in early January, according to NASA's press release.
Over the course of 21 of those years, the ERBS measured stratospheric ozone, water vapor, nitrogen dioxide, and aerosol concentrations, as well as actively explored how the Earth absorbed and radiated solar energy.
According to the Department of Defense's forecast as of Jan. 5, the 5,400-pound satellite will re-enter the atmosphere at around 6:40 p.m. EST on Jan. 8. The forecasts will be updated as NASA, and the Defense Department continue to watch the descent.
What Happens When the Debris Falls to Earth?
While the news may come as alarming for citizens within the area of impact, NASA reassures the public that a majority of the 5,400-pound (2,450-kg) satellite will burn up upon reentry and stated that the likelihood of debris falling on anyone is "extremely low." However, specific components should survive. One in 9,400 people is exceedingly unlikely to experience harm on Earth.
Interesting Engineering reports that the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy instructed NASA and several other agencies to review current mitigation guidelines in a National Orbital Debris Implementation Plan.
Additionally, understanding the energy budget, or the balance between the energy from the Sun that Earth collects and radiates, can assist reveal weather patterns and is a key indicator of the health of the climate. Ozone levels in the stratosphere are crucial for shielding life on Earth from harmful UV light.
What Is Nasa's Earth Radiation Budget Satellite?
According to VOA News, the ERBS satellite was a part of NASA's three-satellite Earth Radiation Budget Experiment mission, which was launched in 1984 from the Space Shuttle Challenger. It was equipped with three instruments: two for measuring the Earth's radiative energy budget and one for measuring ozone and other stratospheric components.
In 1984, the space shuttle Challenger launched the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite or ERBS. The satellite continued to measure ozone and other atmospheric variables despite having a two-year anticipated operating life. It was retired in 2005. The satellite observed how the planet's surface radiated and absorbed solar radiation.
Additionally, the Challenger gave the satellite a special send-off. Sally Ride, the nation's first woman in space, used the shuttle's robot arm to launch the satellite into orbit. Kathryn Sullivan made history on that same mission by being the first American woman to walk in space. Two female astronauts traveled in orbit together for the first time ever.
ERBS operated until its retirement in 2005, greatly exceeding its anticipated two-year service life. Researchers were able to gauge the impacts of human activity on the Earth's radiation balance thanks to its observations. With initiatives like the current Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) suite of satellite instruments, NASA has continued to build on the success of the ERBE mission.
