ERBS was onboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984, while Sally Ride, a female astronaut, launched it into orbit with the Canadarm robot.
A NASA satellite, 38 years old, has returned safely to Earth. The US Department of Defense confirmed that ERBS satellite entered Earth’s atmosphere at 5 :04 a.m. EST, which was just over Alaska’s coast on January 8.
ERBS was onboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984, while Sally Ride, a female astronaut, launched it into orbit with the Canadarm robot.
According to the Associated Press there was no report of injury or damage. NASA previously stated that there was a 1 out 9,400 chance of someone being injured. Other officials, however, said that there was a possibility some parts would survive the crash.
Kathryn Sullivan, a team member, performed the first American woman-led spacewalk during that mission. The satellite was originally designed to collect information on ozone over two years, but it was pulled from service in 2005, two decades later.
This tool allowed scientists to study how Earth absorbs solar radiation. We may not see these ancient spacecraft fall from orbit in the coming decades. Spacecraft should last for five years, according to the US.