During the evening, a discarded battery set from the ISS will fall to the Earth’s surface. No parts of the space debris will probably hit Germany – its path to Earth could still be visible in the sky.
In parts of Germany, a discarded battery pack from the international space station ISS could create a brilliant spectacle in the evening sky. The dropped component is supposed to burn up when it enters the earth’s atmosphere and thus shine in the sky, much like a shooting star.
Before the battery set enters the earth’s atmosphere, it will fly over Germany several times, according to the Federal Office for Civil Protection (BBK). On the authority’s website possible routes published:
The parts cross the airspace over Germany between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. At around 7:19 p.m., the first possible flight path leads from North Rhine-Westphalia over parts of southern Lower Saxony, the north of Hesse and Thuringia to Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. About an hour and a half later, the battery pack is expected to cross Germany again – and could be spotted in the south of Baden-Württemberg and the southwesternmost tip of Bavaria.
The Air Force also provided information on platform X about possible trajectories of the scrap piece. Accordingly, looking towards the sky is particularly worthwhile in Central Germany. However, there is no danger from falling debris.
Scrap is probably crashing over North America
According to calculations by the German Aerospace Center, it is very unlikely that parts of the battery pack will fall in Germany. In all likelihood, the scrap will enter the atmosphere in northern North America. It is impossible to say exactly when the space debris will hit the earth’s surface – the DLR is constantly adjusting its calculations as the evening progresses.
Despite the very low risk of danger, the BBK sent out an official danger warning on Thursday via several warning apps. But the authority also assumes that it is “very unlikely” that parts of the battery pack will fall in the Federal Republic. “If, contrary to expectations, there are indications that Germany is affected,” there will be a further warning, it said.
A bang or a glow
But even if the space debris does not hit Germany, it could be heard or seen if the space debris flies over the Federal Republic. According to the BKK, a sonic boom could be heard in the affected regions or there could be flares.
Batteries like to burn. I assume that the package will almost completely burn up in the atmosphere. Maybe you will see the disassembly as a beautiful shooting star.
Crash as a “drag of debris”
The platform with battery packs was deliberately separated from the ISS in March 2021 in order to enter the atmosphere years later. The object is about the size of a car and weighs 2,600 kilograms.
But the battery pack will not “fall as a compact individual part in a very narrow area,” said the former head of ESA’s space safety program. After it enters the Earth’s atmosphere at an approximate altitude of 100 kilometers, it will disintegrate and the individual parts will probably fall to the Earth’s surface as a “trail of debris.”
David Beck, SWR, tagesschau, March 8, 2024 11:17 a.m