--- title: "This NASA Satellite Is Falling Back to Earth After 21 Years" description: "Nearly 21 years after it was launched, NASA's RHESSI satellite is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere. Chances it'll hit you are apparently \"low.\"" date: "2023-04-19" modified: "2023-04-19" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-satellite-fall-earth" categories: - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "NASA" - "satellite" - "space junk" - "the digest" --- # This NASA Satellite Is Falling Back to Earth After 21 Years ![Nearly 21 years after it was launched, NASA's RHESSI satellite is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere. Chances it'll hit you are apparently "low."]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Ol' RHESSI A decades-old NASA satellite is about to plummet back down to Earth — and there's a non-zero chance it could hit somebody on the surface below. Nearly 21 years after it was launched in 2002, NASA's retired Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spacecraft — a satellite that observed solar flares and coronal mass ejections — is expected to reenter the Earth's atmosphere this month, [according to NASA](). While RHESSI was decommissioned back in 2018, it's only now expected to crash back down to Earth. And in case you're wondering if the falling [space debris]() might hit you on the head, the chances are extremely slim — but technically not zero. "NASA expects most of the spacecraft to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive reentry," reads NASA's statement. "The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low — approximately 1 in 2,467." ## Sun Spotter As NASA explained in its statement, the satellite "provided vital clues" about solar flares and coronal mass ejections, events that "release the energy equivalent of billions of megatons of TNT into the solar atmosphere within minutes and can have effects on Earth, including the disruption of electrical systems." With the help of RHESSI, scientists also discovered that terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, which are emitted in our planet's atmosphere during lightning storms, are more common than previously thought. But alas, despite all of its efforts, NASA had to retire the satellite after 16 years of service due to communications issues. In short, RHESSI made some considerable contributions to our understanding of solar flares — and we salute it for its efforts. **More on NASA:** [*NASA's Mighty Sky Lasers Spotted by Japanese Astronomer*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()