‘Satellite running out of fuel, will crash’
22 Oct 2013 5:11 AM IST
About 40 to 50 fragments with a combined mass of 250 kg are projected to hit our planet within weeks of the GOCE satellite running out of fuel, according to spacecraft operations manager Christoph Steiger.
‘We are very close to the end,’ he said on Sunday, when the pressure in the satellite’s fuel tank dropped below 2.5 bar - the minimum required for full operation.
Not yet known is when and where the fragments will impact - over the ocean or on land.
The pressure in the orbiter’s tank is expected to drop to zero no later than 26 October but the engine will likely stop working before then, said Steiger.
‘Right now, it is not possible to predict where it will happen, it could be anywhere. The closer we get to the re-entry point, the more precisely we will be able to say.
‘Roughly one day before (impact), one can exclude certain regions of the Earth. A few hours before, we will be able to tell with... a few thousand kilometres of precision.’
The Gravity Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) was launched into orbit in March 2009 at an altitude of just 260 km.
‘We are very close to the end,’ he said on Sunday, when the pressure in the satellite’s fuel tank dropped below 2.5 bar - the minimum required for full operation.
Not yet known is when and where the fragments will impact - over the ocean or on land.
The pressure in the orbiter’s tank is expected to drop to zero no later than 26 October but the engine will likely stop working before then, said Steiger.
‘Right now, it is not possible to predict where it will happen, it could be anywhere. The closer we get to the re-entry point, the more precisely we will be able to say.
‘Roughly one day before (impact), one can exclude certain regions of the Earth. A few hours before, we will be able to tell with... a few thousand kilometres of precision.’
The Gravity Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) was launched into orbit in March 2009 at an altitude of just 260 km.
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