Papildinājums:
There is a potential risk that objects might fall on Europe's land surface. All areas under the orbit of ROSAT, which extends to 53 degrees northern and southern latitude, could be affected by its re-entry. The bulk of the debris will impact near the ground track of the satellite. However, isolated fragments could fall to the Earth in an 80 kilometre wide path along the track.
The latest studies reveal that it is possible that up to 30 individual pieces weighing a total of 1.7 tons may reach the surface of the Earth (water or land). The largest single fragment will probably be the telescope's mirror, which is very heat resistant and may weigh up to 1.7 tons.