"Salsa's Last Dance": European Satellite Set To Re-Enter Earth After 24 years On This Date

After 24 years of providing valuable data on Earth's magnetic shield, the European Space Agency's (ESA) satellite named Salsa is set to re-enter the atmosphere on September 8. Launched in 2000, Salsa was part of the groundbreaking Cluster mission, a constellation of four satellites investigating the sun-earth connection. Next month, it will be the first of the four Cluster satellites to make its fiery descent back to Earth, re-entering the atmosphere over the South Pacific. 

"On 8 September 2024, the first of four Cluster satellites will return home and burn up in Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled 'targeted reentry' over a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean," ESA wrote in a blog. 

In a testament to ESA's commitment to space safety, Salsa's re-entry will be meticulously controlled. The satellite will descend from an altitude of about 110 kilometres to 80 kilometres, with a planned landing zone in the remote South Pacific Ocean, away from populated areas. "Scientists on board a small plane will try to collect rare data on how and when a satellite breaks up, which can be used to make satellite reentries safer and more sustainable in the future," the agency said.

"Adjusting Salsa's orbit for a controlled re-entry reflects our commitment to both safety and precision. This careful planning will ensure the spacecraft burns up as it re-enters the atmosphere," said Bruno Sousa, Cluster Operations Manager.

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During the re-entry, most of the spacecraft is expected to disintegrate within less than a minute, but a few parts are likely to survive. "Targeting open waters upon reentry is hugely reducing the amount of land over which fragments could fall, making the reentry as safe as possible," the agency explained. 

After Salsa's re-entry, its other companions - named Rumba, Tango and Samba - will enter a "caretaker" phase. 

Each of them will reenter under slightly different circumstances and angles, offering up a scientist's dream: a repeatable experiment. Although they will cease scientific operations, ESA will continue to monitor them to avoid collisions with other spacecraft or Earth. 

Rumba is scheduled for a controlled re-entry in November 2025, with Samba and Tango to follow in 2026. 

Notably, despite a planned lifespan of just two years, the Cluster mission has remarkably stretched to nearly 24 years, a testament to the ingenuity of its design and the dedication of the ESA team. Over their extended mission, the Cluster satellites have yielded a wealth of scientific data, contributing to the publication of over 3,200 research papers. These insights have shed light on the sun's influence on Earth's environment, the dynamic processes within the magnetosphere, and the potential hazards posed by space weather events.