The ERS-2 was launched in 1995 following the footsteps of its sister satellite, the ERS-1, launched four years earlier. At the time of their launch, the two ERS satellites were the most sophisticated Earth observation satellites ever developed.
Both satellites carried an impressive array of instruments, including a synthetic aperture radar imaging system, a radar altimeter, and other powerful sensors for measuring ocean surface temperature and winds at sea. ERS-2 also featured an additional sensor for measuring atmospheric ozone.
These pioneering ESA satellites gathered a wealth of data on polar ice decline, changes in land surface, sea level rise, ocean warming, and atmospheric chemistry. Moreover, they were utilized for monitoring natural disasters such as severe floods and earthquakes in remote locations.
In 2011, the European Space Agency - ESA retired the ERS-2 and began the process of controlled reentry of the satellite (deorbiting). Now, the time has come for this pioneering satellite to naturally reenter the atmosphere and begin to disintegrate.
As satellites near the end of their missions, they transition into space debris, presenting hazards to active spacecraft and upcoming missions. Therefore, de-orbiting, which involves the controlled descent of a satellite from orbit to safely re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up, plays a critical role in reducing the proliferation of space debris.
Telespazio Germany played a vital operational role in the ERS-2 mission, beginning over 4 years before its launch on April 21, 1995, and extending beyond its End-Of-Life on July 4, 2011. This encompassed managing daily operations, as well as developing and supporting the complex Mission Planning System and directly operating the Kiruna Ground Station.
When ERS-2 was launched, the concept of climate change was much less appreciated and understood than it is today. However, the ERS missions provided scientists with data that helped us begin to grasp the impact humans are having on the planet.
Farewell, ERS-2. Your legacy lives on.