Old satellite to burn up over Pacific in 'targeted' reentry first

By Agence France-Presse

Sep 07, 2024 3:09 pm

PARIS, France — After 24 years diligently studying Earth's magnetic field, a satellite will mostly burn up over the Pacific Ocean on Sunday during a 'targeted' re-entry into the atmosphere, in a first for the European Space Agency as it seeks to reduce space debris.

Since launching in 2000, the Salsa satellite has helped shed light on the magnetosphere, the powerful magnetic shield that protects Earth from solar winds — and without which the planet would be uninhabitable.

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