SEOUL– A defunct U.S. satellite crashed into the sea near Alaska Monday, the South Korean science ministry said, after having warned that debris could crash near the Korean peninsula.
Launched in 1984, the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) fell to Earth after completing its decadeslong mission to study how the Earth absorbed and radiated energy from the sun.
The ERBS landed near the Bering Sea southwest of Alaska, or at 56.9 degrees north latitude and 193.8 degrees east longitude, at 1:04 p.m., according to the Ministry of Science and ICT, citing U.S. agencies.
The satellite was presumed to have passed over the peninsula, and no damage was reported, it added.
Earlier, the ministry forecast that the ERBS may crash back down to Earth around 12:20-1:20 p.m. and the Korean Peninsula is included in the regions that the satellite would fall toward.
The ministry said the majority of the satellite will burn up upon re-entry to the atmosphere but asked Korean people to remain cautious about some components that will likely survive the process and reach the surface.
The South Korean government banned flight operations for around one hour from noon out of safety concerns, grounding at least 40 flights nationwide, according to the Korea Airports Corp.
The government sent out a public alert and held an emergency meeting to monitor the situation.
Source: Yonhap News Agency