Old NASA satellite, Rhessi, expected to hit Earth today

An old NASA satellite, Rhessi, is expected to fall to Earth today, but experts say the chances of it posing any danger are low.

The defunct spacecraft, weighing 300kg, will plummet through the atmosphere on Wednesday night, April 19, 2023, according to NASA and the US Defence Department.

Although most of the satellite is expected to burn up as it hurtles through the upper atmosphere, some parts are expected to fall to Earth.

Expected casualties

NASA said in a statement that the risk of anyone on the surface being harmed by plunging satellite pieces is "low" - about one in 2,467.

NASA has not disclosed the re-entry location of the satellite, given lingering uncertainty over when and where it might go down.

The agency has, however, assured the public that the risk of harm from the falling satellite is low.

Experts say that such events are not uncommon, and that most of the time, falling satellites and space debris pose no threat to human life.

About Rhessi

Rhessi, short for the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, was launched into orbit in 2002 to study the sun.

The satellite observed solar flares as well as coronal mass ejections from the sun before being shut down in 2018 due to communication problems. It captured images in high-energy X-rays and gamma rays, recording more than 100,000 solar events.