100 of stargazer report fireballs over the southeastern U.S. earlier this week . But this was no natural phenomenon — just another case of deadened satellites littering Earth ’s orbit .
The fireworks came from defunct Chinese satellite that reentered through Earth ’s standard pressure on Saturday dark and burn up over New Orleans , Louisiana . The satellite ’s reentry resulted in bright stripe across the skies over several state , include Missouri , Arkansas , and Mississippi , according to reports shared online . Although the satellite did n’t pose a threat to looker-on , its uncontrolled reentry highlights the pauperism for better regulating of nonoperational space dust .
🚨 Update : Taiwanese surveillance artificial satellite enter Earth ’s atmosphere over New Orleans , Louisiana!pic.twitter.com / UGyp8Tx5dz
The American Meteor Society received more than 150 reports of fireballs in the night sky.Bethany T./The American Meteor Society
— US Civil Defense News ( @CaptCoronado)December 22 , 2024
The American Meteor Society received 152 witnessreportsof fireball sighting around 11 p.m. ET on December 22 , but dismissed the consequence as “ not a true fireball . ” Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell later identified the beginning of the fireball as the Chinese imaging satellite SuperView 1 - 02 , which reentered over New Orleans before heading compass north , hewroteon X.
Orbit height story of GJ1 - 02 , the Chinese sat that reentered over the US last nightpic.twitter.com/RrjEncYdvF
— Jonathan McDowell ( @planet4589)December 22 , 2024
SuperView 1 - 02 was operated by Bejing - based company SpaceView , and launch in December 2016 as one of two satellites belong to a constellation for civilian remote sensing . The two satellites were China ’s first high - resolution Earth imaging satellites , according toSpace.com . They were initially placed in the incorrect eye socket , ending up in an elliptical orbit instead of a circular one , and had to gradually raise their orbit over clip to begin their mission .
SuperView 1 - 02 was decommission around two age ago , and left to reentry through Earth ’s standard pressure in an uncontrolled manner . Some satellite operators equip spacecraft with the capability of performing a master reentry to minimise peril , but China is screw forbad orbital etiquette . The South China Morning Post minimise the incident , reportingthat the satellite ’s reentry “ created a spectacular lite show but posed no real peril , ” and adding that the “ result was unwilled . ”
Defunct satellite wandering around Earth orbit are at serious risk of collision with other spacecraft . There are more than 27,000 pieces of orbital dust currently beingtrackedby the Department of Defense ’s global Space Surveillance internet , with lots of smaller pieces alsofloating around undetected . Moving around at high pep pill , even the smaller turn of material , likemicrometeoroids , can jeopardize active spacecraft in orbit .
The European Space Agency ( ESA ) is developing agency to improve ballistic capsule reentry capableness to help reduce orbital debris . TheDestructive Reentry Assessment Container Object ( DRACO ) , launching in 2027 , is a satellite design to gather information during its reentry through Earth ’s atmosphere after a dead - know mission . Better understanding the skill of reentry could aid scientist plan future spacecraft that do n’t adventure damaging other machines in space when they are decommission .
ChinaLow Earth orbitorbital debrissatellitesspace debris
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