EUVE Expected to Enter the Earth's Atmosphere Shortly

By Fraser Cain - January 31, 2002 at 3:02 AM UTC | Missions

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spacecraft is expected to re-enter the Earth?s atmosphere sometime on Thursday morning. Although they don?t know where or when it will crash - as far South as Brisbane, Australia, and as far North as Orlando, Florida - NASA believes that most of the spacecraft will be destroyed on re-entry with some pieces crashing into the ocean. Unlike many large spacecraft, the EUVE wasn?t built with a propulsion system to control its crash location. During its eight years in orbit, the EUVE observed over 1,000 objects in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum.

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today, founding the website in March 1999. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast.