5800 lbs of batteries from ISS falling to earth today
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:54 pmhttps://www.space.com/old-batteries-re-enter-atmosphere
5,800 pounds of batteries tossed off the ISS in 2021 will fall to Earth today
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By Leonard David( space.com-leonard-david ) published about 8 hours ago
"Luminous phenomena or the perception of a sonic boom are possible."
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a large white rectangle floats above the blue surface of earth
The International Space Station jettisons a 2.9-ton pallet carrying used batteries on March 11, 2021. This photo was posted on Twitter by NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins (Image credit: NASA/Mike Hopkins via Twitter)
A nearly 3-ton leftover tossed overboard from the International Space Station is nearing its plunge toward Earth.
The multi-ton Exposed Pallet 9 (EP9) was jettisoned from the space station back in March 2021. At the time, it was reported to be the most massive object ever tossed overboard from the International Space Station. Disposing of used or unnecessary equipment in such a way is common practice aboard the space station, as the objects typically burn up harmlessly in Earth's atmosphere.
Ahead of EP9's reentry, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, National Warning Center 1 in Bonn, Germany issued this information:
"Between midday on March 8 and midday on March 9, a larger space object is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and possibly fragment," the translated statement explains. "The object is battery packs from the International Space Station (ISS). Luminous phenomena or the perception of a sonic boom are possible."