Is it raining debris from the ISS today?

Today, March 8, 2024, you’d better keep an eye on the sky. After all, debris from the International Space Station (ISS) could crash to earth. It is possible that scrap parts from the discarded pallet for the space station could also land on German soil.

ISS debris lands on Earth

The weather forecast for today actually sounds quite promising. It should be mostly sunny throughout Germany with a maximum temperature of 13°C. But there could still be a little precipitation. However, this has nothing in common with rain or even snow. Rather, it could rain space debris today. The reason for this is an old battery pallet from the ISS. This was discarded around three years ago and could hit German territory today. However, there is no real certainty about this. After all, it is also very likely that the scrap parts will burn up as soon as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. As there is nevertheless a certain residual risk, the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) has now issued a corresponding announcement.

Statistics provide peace of mind

Naturally, some people are now panicking about the possibility of getting a piece of debris on their head. However, the BBK also reassures the public in the announcement. It is far more likely that the debris would fall over the sea. This is simply because it is not yet possible to localize the actual point of impact, as the Aerospace Corporation also makes clear. In fact, the debris could hit anywhere on the globe. However, since there is known to be more water than earth surface on the globe, the probability of an impact on the water is of course significantly greater. Nevertheless, there is a certain residual risk that the authorities would now like to inform people about.

Crash on Friday evening

The debris from the ISS already has a fairly precise “collision window”. The crash is expected to occur at 17:24 today. Nevertheless, these are only estimates. The impact could also occur a few hours earlier or later. Should it actually happen that the debris is heading towards Germany, the BBK wants to provide timely notification.