The European Space Agency expects an obsolete satellite to return to Earth after spending over a decade orbiting the planet. ERS-2 was launched in 1995 and was initially set to serve the ESA by observing Earth for three years. However, it remained in operation until 2011 and in orbit for 16 years, providing data for over 5,000 projects during its lifespan. The satellite tracked the shrinking polar ice, rising sea levels and atmospheric makeup during its time in orbit. The ESA conducted 66 de-orbiting maneuvers to prevent the satellite from remaining in space for over a century. As a result, the European Space Agency expects much of the 2.5-ton spacecraft to disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere. While an exact prediction of where the remainder will land is unclear, the agency believes that it will likely hit a body of water on Wednesday.