By 
January 31st, 2026
Image credit: ESA
The European Space Agency has green-lighted a very complex reentry of a specially designed spacecraft. They are building a sensor-loaded satellite specifically built to dive into the Earth’s atmosphere.
As a headfirst, artificial “fall guy” shooting through first thin and then thicker air, it would collect data on how materials react and introduce pollutants into the upper stratosphere.
In other words, it’s an atmospheric stab for science.
Image credit: ESA
“Understanding how different materials behave as they burn up could help engineers design satellites that fully disintegrate, leaving nothing behind in orbit or in the atmosphere.”
For more details, go to my new Space.com story – “What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? Here’s why ESA wants to find out” – at:
Posted in Space News
