TORONTO – Another spacecraft is set to return to Earth this week, but this time it’s planned.
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has been monitoring global rainfall since 1997, with an expected lifespan of three years. Instead, it’s provided 17 years of observations and assisted in climate modelling.
But all good things must come to an end.
The satellite — which officially ended its mission on April 15 — is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at 12:02 a.m. June 16.
The U.S. Space Surveillance Network will be monitoring its descent. Though most of the spacecraft will disintegrate after reaching scorching temperatures, the Orbital Debris Program estimates that about 12 components could survive reentry.
But don’t panic: the chance that any of the pieces could hit someone is just 1 in 4,200. And since the space age began in the 1950s, no one has ever been hit by space debris.
In May, the Russian cargo spacecraft destined for the International Space Station went out of control and plummeted to Earth. There were no reported sightings.
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