Europe's 'Space Truck' Assigned Crash Zone

Sept. 26, 2008 -- Scientists have earmarked a remote area of the South Pacific where bits of Europe's massive space freighter may crash when the orbiting craft is destroyed in a suicide plunge on Monday, an official said on Friday.

The "entry zone" is a strip 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) long by 200 kms (120 miles) wide, said Mike Steinkopf, in charge of the operation at European Space Agency (ESA) mission control in Toulouse, southwestern France.

Around a hundred parts of the 13.5-ton Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) may survive the fiery heat and stress of re-entry and splash down in pieces in this remote sea area, said Steinkopf.

The entry zone is located about 2,500 kms (1,500 miles) east of New Zealand, 6,000 kms (3,750 miles) west of Chile and 2,500 kms (1,500 miles) south of the Easter Islands.

"We [have] notified the competent bodies in order to prevent ships and airplanes going through this area during the re-entry phase," he said.

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Measuring 10 meters (32.5 feet) in length and with nearly the volume of a large shipping container, the robot craft was sent aloft in April on a one-way trip.

It docked automatically with the International Space Station, bringing 7.5 tons of equipment, water and air to its three-men crew.

The ATV was filled up with the ISS's trash before detaching on Sept. 6.

It was then placed in a holding orbit to position itself for re-entry, in which it will be deliberately sent on a steep trajectory that causes maximum friction with the atmosphere, helping it to break apart and burn.