Nuclear spies and space stations: the largest objects that have fallen to Earth from space (photos).

Before the dawn of the space age in 1957, the only objects capable of falling to Earth from space were meteorites, asteroids, and occasionally comets. However, today, certain spacecraft that have been operating in orbit sometimes return to Earth uncontrollably. Here are some of the largest space vehicles that have returned from space, as reported by Space.

GOCE Satellite

The European Space Agency's GOCE satellite fell to Earth on November 10, 2013, meeting a fiery demise upon re-entering the atmosphere. The satellite weighed approximately 1 ton and measured over 5 meters in length. While this is considerable, much larger vehicles have made uncontrolled re-entries into the atmosphere.

UARS Satellite

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The American UARS satellite, weighing 6.5 tons, had a length of 10.7 meters and a width of 4.5 meters and was launched into space to study the climate in September 1991. UARS studied the Earth's atmosphere for 14 years and provided crucial data on the amount of light emitted by the Sun in the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. The satellite, which cost $750 million, fell to Earth in September 2011. Scientists estimate that approximately 500 kg of debris landed on the planet's surface, as it did not burn up in the atmosphere.

Skylab

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NASA launched the 85-ton Skylab space station in 1973. It was visited by American astronauts three times. The station was expected to remain in orbit for at least 10 years, but higher-than-expected solar activity heated and expanded the Earth's atmosphere, leading to Skylab's descent. NASA was unable to control the station's re-entry, and it returned to Earth on July 11, 1979, with most of Skylab burning up in the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean and Australia. Some large debris survived and fell in Australia, but no one was harmed.

Pegasus 2

In 1965, NASA launched the 11.6-ton Pegasus 2 satellite to study the quantity of micrometeorites in low Earth orbit. Pegasus 2 collected data for about three years before orbiting Earth for another 11 years, during which its orbit gradually lowered. Finally, on November 3, 1979, parts of the satellite fell into the Atlantic Ocean.

Salyut 7 Space Station

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Salyut 7 was the last of the space stations launched by the USSR as part of the Salyut program from 1971 to 1982. It was sent into space on April 19, 1982, and remained in orbit for nearly 9 years. During this time, Soviet astronauts visited the space station six times. It measured 16 meters in length and 4.15 meters in width, with a total mass of approximately 22 tons.

The Salyut 7 space station returned to Earth on February 7, 1991, when it was docked with the unmanned spacecraft Cosmos 1686, which also weighed 22 tons. This complex burned up in the atmosphere over Argentina, and some debris fell to the ground. No one was injured.

Columbia Shuttle

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The American Columbia shuttle made an uncontrolled return to Earth on February 1, 2003. It disintegrated over Texas while returning from a 16-day scientific mission. All seven NASA astronauts aboard perished, and the 100-ton shuttle was completely incinerated. The disaster is believed to have occurred due to damage to the shuttle's thermal protection system.

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Cosmos 954 Satellite

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Although this Soviet spy satellite was not the largest to fall to Earth, it was perhaps the most alarming. The Cosmos 954 satellite, weighing 3.8 tons, was launched by the USSR in September 1977 to monitor the movements of American nuclear submarines.

The satellite used a nuclear reactor for power, and its uncontrolled descent in January 1978 raised widespread concern.

The Cosmos 954 satellite broke apart over Canada, scattering radioactive debris over a large area. Canada demanded $6 million from the USSR for damages but only received $3 million.

Chinese Rocket "Chang Zheng 7"

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The 6-ton second stage of the Chinese Chang Zheng 7 rocket fell to Earth on July 27, 2016, creating an impressive fireball in the sky over the United States. This rocket launched various Chinese demonstration technologies into orbit.

Chinese Space Laboratory "Tiangong-1"

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On April 1, 2018, the Chinese space laboratory Tiangong-1 fell to Earth and broke apart over the Pacific Ocean. This object measured 10.4 meters in length and 3.4 meters in width, with a weight of over 9 tons.

Tiangong-1 was launched into orbit in 2011, and Chinese astronauts visited it twice in 2012 and 2013. In March 2016, contact with Tiangong-1 was lost, and it began an uncontrolled return to Earth.

Mir Space Station

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One of the largest spacecraft ever to return to the Earth's atmosphere remains the massive Mir space station, initially operated by the USSR and later by Russia. This station fell to Earth on March 23, 2001.

Unlike the other spacecraft on this list, the return of the Mir station was fully controlled, and it fell into the Pacific Ocean. Due to its enormous size, the station was included in this list.

The Mir space station, weighing 135 tons, was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. Ultimately, it spent 15 years in space. The station measured 19 meters in length and 31 meters in width. With the exception of two periods without a crew, astronauts were continuously aboard the Mir station until August 1999.