2024-03-07 09:57:00
ISS battery block Space debris could hit Germany tomorrow
March 7, 2024, 10:57 a.m. Listen to article
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There is endless space debris circling the Earth. In a current case, it also falls to earth – and could even hit Germany. The German space situation center is keeping an eye on the ISS’s old battery pack.
A former battery pack from the international space station ISS is hurtling towards Earth in space – and could also hit Germany. Tomorrow, Friday, the platform with battery packs will enter the Earth’s atmosphere again. The object measures 4 x 2 x 1.5 meters and weighs around 2.6 tons. It was decoupled from the ISS space station almost three years ago – on March 21, 2021.
In response to a request from ntv.de, the responsible Federal Ministry of Economics (industrial policy and aerospace department) responded to the fears that parts of the battery pack could fall in Germany: “Initial analyzes by the German space situation center have shown that parts of the battery packs will survive re-entry and the can reach the earth’s surface.” However, according to the Space Situation Center, a threat to Germany is very unlikely.
The German space situation center is located in Uedem, North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the ministry, this is a civil-military cooperation between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. Space near Earth is monitored. The BMWK wrote on request that this would result in analyzes of the impending re-entry of space objects.
If there are increasing signs of an imminent re-entry of the battery block, federal and state ministries and authorities will be informed, assures the Federal Ministry of Economics. Federal and state crisis mechanisms would then take effect. The property will continue to be closely monitored.
The “Bild” newspaper had previously reported that part of the bloc could hit Germany. The corridor in which this can happen is around 35 kilometers wide and extends from the Ruhr area to Cottbus in Brandenburg.
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