RHESSI, illustrative photo
The RHESSI satellite will enter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday. However, the device will not burn in its entirety, according to NASA calculations. So the remnants of the satellite can fall to Earth. The chances that someone will get hurt because of this, however, are very small.
The RHESSI satellite will enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Some parts may hit the Earth
Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, or RHESSI, will enter Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, April 19, nearly 21 years after launch – reports NASA . Estimates indicate that it will happen around 3:30 am Polish time with a shift of plus or minus 16 hours. The device weighs less than 300 kg and some of its parts will fall to the ground. According to NASA calculations, the satellite will not burn up completely in the atmosphere. The chances that anyone will suffer from this, however, the space agency describes as low.
The RHESSI satellite returns to Earth 21 years after its launch
RHESSI was launched aboard an Orbital Sciences Corporation Pegasus XL rocket in 2002. The satellite’s goal was to capture the high-energy electrons that carry much of the energy released in solar flares. RHESSI has taken the first images of solar flares in gamma rays and high-energy X-rays. Scientists have thus obtained important data on solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The power of these events is equivalent to the explosion of billions of megatons of TNT. That’s enough to disrupt Earth’s electrical systems. Understanding them was therefore important, but not easy. RHESSI has registered over 100,000 X-ray events, which allowed scientists to study flares. This allowed them to determine the frequency, location and motion of the particles, helping to understand where they are being accelerated. RHESSI ceased operation in 2018. The reason was communication problems with the device.
