Reentry observation campaign team ready for takeoff

The reentry science team early in the morning at Sydney airport, ready to fly and collect valuable data to improve reentry modelling with various scientific instruments set up in front of the plane windows. 

On 8 September 2024, Salsa, the first of four satellites that made up ESA’s Cluster mission reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean Uninhabited Area. It marked the end of the historic mission, over 24 years after it was sent into space to measure Earth’s magnetic environment. 

Salsa's ‘targeted reentry’ was the first of its kind, with Rumba following in November 2025 and the remaining Samba and Tango satellites lined up for reentry in 2026. ESA’s efforts to ensure a clean end to the Cluster mission go beyond international standards, making the agency a world-leader in sustainable space exploration. 

Because a targeted reentry means the time and location of the reentry is know, it is possible to plan observations from an airplane and collect rare reentry data.