Old European satellite plunges harmlessly through the atmosphere over the Pacific

An old Earth-observing satellite fell out of orbit Wednesday and harmlessly broke apart over the Pacific. The European Remote Sensing 2 satellite reentered halfway between Hawaii and Alaska. The European Space Agency confirmed the demise of the 5,000-pound (2,300-kilogram) spacecraft, known as ERS-2. No damage or injuries were reported. Experts had expected most of the satellite to burn up. More

(Source: AP News - Feb 23)