European satellite plunges to Earth
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="science">science</span> <span word="satellite">satellite</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="measured">measured</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="gravity">gravity</span> <span word="field">field</span> <span word="re">re</span>-<span word="entered">entered</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Sunday">Sunday</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="disintegrated">disintegrated</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="planned">planned</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="European">European</span> <span word="Space">Space</span> <span word="Agency">Agency</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="expected">expected</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="estimated">estimated</span> 25 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1-<span word="ton">ton</span> <span word="GOCE">GOCE</span> <span word="satellite">satellite</span> <span word="reached">reached</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="surface">surface</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ESA">ESA</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="statement">statement</span>, <span word="but">but</span> "<span word="no">no</span> <span word="damage">damage</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="property">property</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="reported">reported</span>."</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="immediate">immediate</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="debris">debris</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="landed">landed</span>.</p><p><span word="GOCE">GOCE</span> "<span word="is">is</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="fraction">fraction</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> 100-150 <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="man">man</span>-<span word="made">made</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="re">re</span>-<span word="enter">enter</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span> <span word="annually">annually</span>", <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Heiner">Heiner</span> <span word="Klinkrad">Klinkrad</span>, <span word="head">head</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="ESA">ESA</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="debris">debris</span> <span word="office">office</span>.</p><p>"<span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> 56 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="spaceflight">spaceflight</span>, <span word="some">some</span> 15,000 <span word="tons">tons</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="man">man</span>-<span word="made">made</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="objects">objects</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="re">re</span>-<span word="entered">entered</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="causing">causing</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="single">single</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="injury">injury</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="date">date</span>."</p><p><span word="Scientists">Scientists</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="predicted">predicted</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="dozen">dozen</span> <span word="fragments">fragments</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="GOCE">GOCE</span>, <span word="totaling">totaling</span> <span word="some">some</span> 200 <span word="kilograms">kilograms</span> -<span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weight">weight</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="engine">engine</span> - <span word="would">would</span> <span word="survive">survive</span> <span word="contact">contact</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="GOCE">GOCE</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Gravity">Gravity</span> <span word="field">field</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="steady">steady</span>-<span word="state">state</span> <span word="Ocean">Ocean</span> <span word="Circulation">Circulation</span> <span word="Explorer">Explorer</span>, <span word="was">was</span> <span word="launched">launched</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2009 <span word="to">to</span> <span word="map">map</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="gravitational">gravitational</span> <span word="field">field</span>.</p><p><span word="ESA">ESA</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="understand">understand</span> <span word="ocean">ocean</span> <span word="circulation">circulation</span>, <span word="sea">sea</span> <span word="level">level</span>, <span word="ice">ice</span> <span word="dynamics">dynamics</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="interior">interior</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="sleek">sleek</span>, <span word="finned">finned</span> <span word="craft">craft</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="mission">mission</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="ran">ran</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Oct">Oct</span> 21, <span word="leaving">leaving</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="without">without</span> <span word="power">power</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="maintain">maintain</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="altitude">altitude</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="low">low</span> <span word="orbit">orbit</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="lingering">lingering</span> <span word="molecules">molecules</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="air">air</span>.</p>
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