He helped plug the ozone holes – Nasa satellite crashes to Earth after 38 years

In 1984, Elisabeth Kopp was Switzerland’s first Minister of Justice. In the same year, the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched carrying the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS). On Sunday, the satellite fell back to Earth after 38 years.

Intended to provide important data over a two-year period, the satellite remained operational for more than 28 years – and has helped the international community respond to a crisis.

Because until 2005, researchers needed the data from the ERBS to measure the absorption of solar energy into the Earth’s atmosphere. This explains the ozone holes and the associated climate changes. Just five years later, the Montreal Protocol came into effect, leading to the international phase-out of ozone-depleting CFCs.

Although climate protection was still in its infancy at the time, the agreement also had a nice side effect here: the protocol helped the climate. Because the banned CFC and HKW substances are very effective greenhouse gases. Researchers assume that more CO₂ equivalents have been saved with this protocol than with the Kyoto protocol. If this had not happened, the world today would be facing the collapse of the ozone layer.

The satellite therefore took a well-deserved retirement on Sunday by falling to Earth. It was initially unclear whether some parts would have survived reentry. Some chunks may have ended up in the Bering Sea, as NASA reports. The US space agency had previously calculated a 0.01 percent chance that people could be injured in the crash, CNN reports. (lion)