ISS battery pack flew over Germany and crashed into the Atlantic

The authorities give the all-clear: The discarded battery set from the ISS fell into the Atlantic – apparently without causing any damage. It previously flew over Germany and appeared as a bright point in the sky in parts of the country.

The discarded battery pack from the ISS space station flew over Germany and fell into the Atlantic. This was announced by the spokeswoman for the Bundeswehr Space Situation Center, Simone Meyer. She couldn’t say exactly where or when the package arrived. It was “probably largely burnt up”.

The package had previously flown over the middle of Germany at around 7:20 p.m. from the west at an altitude of 139 kilometers and could be observed as a glowing object in parts of Germany. As it burned up as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, it shone in the sky – much like a shooting star. According to the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), a sonic boom could also have been heard in the affected regions.

There had previously been concerns that debris could fall onto the Federal Republic, although that was considered very unlikely. Nevertheless, the BBK sent out an official danger warning on Thursday via several warning apps. In the evening the space situation center gave the all-clear.

Crash as “Debris Trail”

The platform with battery packs was deliberately separated from the ISS in March 2021 in order to enter the atmosphere years later. The object is about the size of a car and weighs 2,600 kilograms.

But the battery pack will not “fall as a compact individual part in a very narrow area,” said the former head of ESA’s space safety program in advance. After it enters the Earth’s atmosphere at an approximate altitude of 100 kilometers, it will disintegrate and the individual parts will probably fall to the Earth’s surface as a “trail of debris.”