European Space Agency Successfully Guides Satellite to Controlled Reentry in Landmark Mission

The European Space Agency guided its Aeolus weather satellite to deorbit and reenter Earth's atmosphere in a controlled manner.
The purposeful reentry marks the first time a large satellite has been deliberately crashed in a safe fashion.
Aeolus studied winds to improve weather forecasting models before being retired due to low fuel.
The precedent highlights responsible efforts to minimize space debris and risk from uncontrolled reentries.
Despite a minor thruster issue, ESA called the assisted reentry campaign an overall success.