German Aerospace Center, DLR
On Sunday, 23 October 2011, between 1:45 UTC (3:45 CEST) and 2:15 UTC (4:15 CEST) the German ROentgen SATellite ROSAT has re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
There is currently no confirmation if pieces of debris have reached Earth's surface.
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Europe, Africa and Australia appeared to be out of the path of the Roentgen Satellite, the agency said late Saturday. It was not immediately clear where the satellite entered the atmosphere.
“The largest single fragment will probably be the telescope’s mirror, which is very heat resistant and may weigh up to 1.7 tons,” according to the German Aerospace Center.
“The likelihood of a person getting injured as a result of the re-entry is extremely low,” the agency said.
Fragments could fall to Earth in about a 50-mile-wide (80-kilometer-wide) path as the satellite enters the atmosphere at 17,398 mpg (28,000 kph) and breaks up under extreme heat, the agency said earlier.
The satellite’s orbit extends to 53 degrees northern and southern latitude, officials said.