Chinese Satellite Burns Up Over Southern U.S., Creating Dramatic Fireball

The uncontrolled re-entry of a decommissioned Chinese imaging satellite lit up skies across multiple states, sparking widespread social media reactions and scientific observations.

• The GaoJing 1-02 satellite, decommissioned since January 2023, re-entered Earth's atmosphere above New Orleans at 10:08 p.m. CST on Saturday night.
• The satellite disintegrated into a fiery spectacle visible across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee, with over 120 reports submitted to the American Meteor Society.
• Experts confirmed the uncontrolled re-entry, noting that the satellite likely burned up entirely, though debris may have reached the ground in some areas.
• Social media users initially mistook the event for a meteor shower, sharing videos of the fireball breaking apart in the night sky.
• Scientists highlighted the increasing frequency of satellite re-entries and raised concerns about their potential environmental impact, including damage to the ozone layer.

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