Photos show European satellite tumbling to its fiery doom after a first-of-a-kind maneuver that prevented a lot of space trash and falling debris on Earth

• Photos show a European satellite tumbling to its doom before burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
• The European Space Agency performed a first-of-a-kind maneuver on the satellite as it deorbited.
• ESA said the maneuver reduced the risk of dangerous space debris impact and space junk collision. 

The European Space Agency released photos showing its Aeolus satellite tumbling to a fiery death as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere at a blazing 16,700 mph.

The Aeolus satellite was launched to space in 2018. It was the first satellite with powerful laser technology capable of observing wind on a global scale.