When it could happen, other things to know [Video]

A now-defunct satellite the size of a school bus is expected to come crashing down to Earth on Wednesday, more than a decade after the spacecraft finished its mission observing Earth’s systems and natural disasters. 

The European Space Agency’s first advanced Earth-observing satellite, known as the ERS-2, launched on April 21, 1995, and studied our planet’s land, oceans and polar caps for 16 years.

But in 2001, the ESA opted to end its operation and de-orbit the satellite to prevent the creation of more space debris. 

NASA, ESA and other international aerospace community members have guidelines to reduce dead satellite and rocket parts in low-Earth orbit by requiring post-mission disposal of natural decay or a controlled entry. 

“Most people nowadays and for the past several years have designed their satellites responsibly to be disposed of, responsibly and in a controlled manner,” former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao told FOX Weather. “At the end …