"Massive Satellite Plunging into Earth's Atmosphere This Week"

The European Space Agency estimates that the ERS-2 satellite, weighing as much as an adult rhinoceros, will make an uncontrolled return through Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday. Its depleted batteries and switched-off communication systems mean there's no way to actively control its descent, with most of the satellite expected to burn up upon re-entry. The satellite, launched in 1995 for Earth observation, will likely have remaining fragments fall into the ocean, posing minimal risk to people on Earth.