First satellite able re-enter the atmosphere in a controlled way just launched

D-Sat is the first satellite in history that will end its mission by re-entering Earth’s atmosphere in a safe and controlled way, burning up instead of becoming new debris. The satellite, which was launched on Friday, 23 June 2017, used a decommissioning and re entry device created by the EU-funded D3 project. Space debris is a growing problem. Earth observation, weather forecast, global navigation, disaster prevention, high-precision farming, and self-driving cars are all applications that require space-based assets. More

(Source: Cordis News - Jul 5)