A satellite that has been in orbit for nearly 30 years has fallen back down through the Earth’s atmosphere, the European Space Agency (Esa) has said.
ERS-2 , the dead European satellite weighing 5,000lbs, was launched in 1995 to collect data on Earth’s land, oceans and polar caps
It finally returned to Earth after ending operations more than a decade ago.
The ERS-2 satellite fell in the North Pacific Ocean somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii last week.
The Esa had previously said the satellite will break up into pieces during re-entry – the majority of which will burn up.
In 2011, Esa retired the still-functioning ERS-2 and began the process of deorbiting.
Throughout its working life, ERS-2 collected data on the Earth’s diminishing polar ice, changing land surfaces, rising sea levels, warming oceans, and atmospheric chemistry.
ERS-2 was also called upon to monitor natural disasters, such as severe floods and earthquakes, in remote parts of the world.