A satellite operated by China’s SpaceView company, GaoJing 1-02/Superview 1-02, broke apart and disintegrated over the southern United States on Saturday night. The object was mistakenly identified as a meteor by the National Weather Service, but officials later confirmed it was a defunct earth-imaging satellite reentering Earth’s atmosphere.
The satellite, launched in 2016, was seen crossing over parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri before breaking apart above New Orleans shortly after 10 p.m. Local meteorologists reported seeing the object on video, which was initially mistaken for a meteor coming apart in the upper atmosphere.
“Events like Saturday night’s are becoming more common with thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth,” said Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who shared footage of the satellite on social media. The National Weather Service confirmed that the object posed no danger to residents and confirmed it was not a meteor but rather the reentering satellite.
The incident highlights the growing number of satellites in orbit around the planet, which can sometimes be mistaken for meteors or other celestial events.
Source: https://www.wlbt.com/2024/12/22/chinese-satellite-breaks-up-over-mississippi-upon-reentering-earths-atmosphere