German defunct satellite ROSAT has entered the atmosphere early on Sunday but there is still no data on where its debris could hit the Earth, the country’s DLR space agency reported.
DLR said in its Twitter blog that scientists are no longer able to communicate with the satellite, and up to 30 fragments weighing a total of 1.7 metric tons could crash into Earth at speeds up to 280 mph (450 kph) anytime between now and 12:00 GMT.
Russian Space Forces said on Wednesday that ROSAT fragments would not hit Russia, while hours before the satellite’s re-entry into the atmosphere DLR confirmed that the satellite was not expected to crash over Europe, Africa or Australia.
ROSAT was put into orbit in 1990 and retired in 1999 after performing an all-sky survey of X-ray sources in search for black holes and neutron stars.
The biggest part of the ROSAT debris that could reach the Earth’s surface are the telescope’s heat-resistant mirror and its supports made of carbon composite.
A defunct U.S. satellite fell into the southern Pacific Ocean in a similar fashion in September, causing no damage.
