Where did NASA’s Defunct Satellite Fall?

After one of NASA’s defunct satellites was reported to fall back to our earth last week, a Facebook page claimed that the U.S. old satellite would fall on the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday (10^th January) afternoon. The claim had been widely shared, commented on, and reacted to. After reviewing news from reliable international media, however, we found the claim misleading.

Social Media Claim

A claim circulated early this week by a Facebook page said a defunct satellite operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would reenter the earth’s atmosphere and fall back on the Korean Peninsula between 12:20 P.M. and 1:20 P.M. Tuesday.

The claim circulated in the Khmer language had been shared nearly 200 times and received many reactions from social media users. The circulation was also shared in a social media group here.

Here is the Khmer-written caption circulated on Facebook on Tuesday saying, “A satellite will probably fall on the Korean Peninsula between 12:20 – 1:20 P.M. The 2,450Kg satellite which was launched into orbit on October 05, 1984, was reentering the earth today (Tuesday) and mostly expected to fall on Korean soil today (Tuesday), according to NASA.”

Facebook Post | Archived Link

Fact Check

Fact Crescendo Cambodia began a fact check by reviewing news circulated by reliable international media and official statements from NASA. Thus, we find facts below.

By searching a keyword, we found news from reliable international media that Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) would reenter our planet’s atmosphere after its nearly 40-year operation in orbit.

The satellite investigating the earth’s radiation energy and aerosol gases reentered the atmosphere over the Bering Sea on Sunday night (the U.S. time or Monday morning in Cambodia), according to CNN report, which quoted NASA’s official statement.

The American media’s report added that the old satellite reentered the earth’s atmosphere over the Bering Sea. Please read the full report here and the archived one here.

Below is the capture of NASA’s Press Release circulated on its website on January 07 and updated two days later.

NASA’s Press Release | Archived

South Korea’s media Korea Jong Ang Daily, says in its report that the American satellite missed the Korean Peninsula on Monday, and no part of the satellite had been reported after it moved through the atmosphere. Please read the full report here and the archived one here.

Conclusion

Fact Crescendo Cambodia found the claim mentioned above misleading. NASA’s defunct satellite did not reenter the atmosphere over the Korean Peninsula. Instead, NASA said in its press release that the old satellite reentered the earth’s atmosphere over the Bering Sea.