The first satellite in ESA’s Cluster quartet returned safely to Earth on the evening of Sunday 8 September “in a world-first ‘targeted re-entry’”, announced the European Space Agency (ESA) on Monday 9 September.
The spacecraft, named ‘Salsa’ (Cluster 2), re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 20:47 CEST over the South Pacific Ocean. The re-entry follows an adjustment to Salsa’s orbit in January 2024 to target an area as far as possible from populated regions to ensure...