A space research centre in Oxfordshire set to welcome a satellite back to Earth.
The satellite has lasted 24 years in space, going well beyond it’s expected mission lifetime of two years.
Last updated 8th Sep 2024
RAL Space in Harwell will be welcoming one of the satellite’s that it has commanded back down to Earth later this evening as it re-enter’s the atmosphere.
The satellite (Salsa) is one of four making up a Cluster of satellites, which has gone well beyond its expected mission's lifetime of 2 years as it has lasted 24 years in space being blasted by solar storms.
Throughout its successful lifetime, commands for Cluster and its science instruments have been planned and prepared by an award-winning team based at RAL Space: The Joint Science Operations Centre (JSOC).
Anne Chadwick is one of people working on the satellite group, she said: “It will be a sad moment, but it was never going to be able to go on much longer than now really, but it is sad after all this time. It’s part of our way of life really”.
The mission has lasted much longer than expected and Mrs Chadwick says how it’s managed to last so long over the years, she said: “The batteries packed-up on the satellite quite a long time ago which they managed without. However, the solar rays have kept going quite well and that’s the reason why actually.
“It’s gone much better than expected”.
Since launch in 2000, Cluster has helped scientists unravel the mysteries of how our magnetosphere, the protective bubble surrounding Earth, interacts with the stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun.
It has helped produce important research in understanding these to help us protect technology that might be impacted by resulting space weather.
Ms Chadwick tells us how the mission has been successful, she said: “It’s produced an awful lot of science over time. I believe there are at least 3,600 scientific papers and there’s a wealth of data produced that scientists can have a look at for years to come as well.
“So yes, we are very proud of it, and it’s been a very successful mission.”
Of the four Cluster satellites, spacecraft 2 (nicknamed Salsa) will be the first to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at around 8pm today.
Salsa's orbit was adjusted in January to give the greatest possible control over where it would burn up, the first targeted re-entry of its kind. The landing will be targeting a specific unpopulated region off the South Pacific Ocean.