(Image source from: European satellite catches fire)

An European Satellite weighing 2,000-pound burst into flames as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere on October 21, 2013.

"As expected, the satellite disintegrated in the high atmosphere and no damage to property has been reported," the European space agency said.

“The Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer -- a European Space Agency satellite known shorthand as GOCE -- crossed over Siberia, the western Pacific Ocean, the eastern Indian Ocean and Antarctica upon its re-entry.”

The 5-meter (16-foot) long satellite was launched into space in 2009 to chart variations in the Earth's gravity in 3-D, furnish details on ocean circulation patterns and make other important measurements.

Powered solely by solar panels, the satellite lasted more than three times its expected lifespan before running out of life on October 21.

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury