/nUpcoming and Recent Decays and Re-entries - eventually air drag, gravity or retro-fire mean that a spacecraft or satellite is no longer able to stay in orbit. It re-enters the atmosphere to be destroyed or make a safe landing.
Orbital Focus - International Spaceflight Facts and Figures
carousel image
 
Launches and Orbital Operations


Tyneside, UK
2023 Sep 24
Sunday, Day 267

Curated by:







Timelines:





History:


Feeling the Heat!

Air drag and, sometimes, gravitational effects cause satellites to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Occasionally, re-entry is caused by a deliberate decision of a satellite owner to fire a retro-rocket and bring some part of a space vehicle back to Earth.

Most re-entries result in the vehicle being destroyed by frictional heating as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere. Some fragments may get through and hit the Earth's surface - hence the system of TIP messages to warn of the event. Only a space vehicle fitted with a heat shield will get through the atmosphere for a landing.

NOTE - Names used here are as used by Space-Track rather than the more-descriptive ones in the Orbital Focus tables.


Anticipated Re-entries

Information comes from Space-Track. Most entries are from the 60-day decay prediction messages that are updated each week on Thursday at about 01:00 UTC. If the re-entry date has already passed then you might find the object is also in the actual re-entry list further down the page.

Below are re-entries expected over the next few weeks. The table includes only natural re-entries of satellites and rocket bodies. It excludes debris items and planned events like a Soyuz, Shenzhou or Dragon spacecraft returning from space station duties.

Cat No Designation Name
(SpaceTrack)
Predicted
Date UTC
Prediction
Issued UTC
44731    2019-074USTARLINK-10262023 Sep 222023 Sep 23
41619    2016-040WBEESAT 42023 Sep 232023 Sep 21
43854    2018-104FOBJECT F2023 Sep 232023 Sep 13
45694    2020-035APSTARLINK-14192023 Sep 242023 Sep 24
45125    2019-071QOBJECT Q2023 Sep 252023 Sep 13
47779    2021-017BKSTARLINK-22122023 Sep 252023 Sep 24
57796    2023-135ECERES-1 R/B2023 Sep 252023 Sep 24
11509    1979-077ACOSMOS 11242023 Sep 252023 Sep 22
55476    2023-015ADSTARLINK-55962023 Sep 262023 Sep 23
47886    2021-021ACSTARLINK-23452023 Sep 272023 Sep 24
44955    2020-001ATSTARLINK-10692023 Sep 282023 Sep 21
57638    2023-122GSTARLINK-303282023 Sep 282023 Sep 7
52176    2022-033VSPACEBEE-1302023 Sep 292023 Sep 21
41949    2017-008BINS-1A2023 Sep 302023 Sep 13
57505    2023-113LSTARLINK-302272023 Sep 302023 Aug 31
43132    2018-004XPICSAT2023 Oct 22023 Sep 21
51025    2022-002ATGRIZU 263A2023 Oct 22023 Sep 21
52164    2022-033HSPACEBEE-1362023 Oct 22023 Sep 21
55697    2023-026CSTARLINK-300402023 Oct 22023 Sep 13
43938    2019-003GALE-12023 Oct 32023 Sep 21
50162    2021-125GSTARLINK-33032023 Oct 32023 Aug 31
52949    2022-074FMISR-B-12023 Oct 32023 Sep 21
52166    2022-033KSPACEBEE-1382023 Oct 42023 Sep 21
52185    2022-033AESPACEBEE-1322023 Oct 42023 Sep 21
51101    2022-003HLAUNCHERONE R/B2023 Oct 52023 Sep 21
52187    2022-033AGSPACEBEE-1352023 Oct 52023 Sep 21
42788    2017-036ZSUCHAI2023 Oct 62023 Sep 13
44964    2020-001BCSTARLINK-10862023 Oct 62023 Sep 21
45180    2020-012CSTARLINK-11922023 Oct 72023 Sep 21
55129    1998-067UWSPORT2023 Oct 102023 Sep 21
43851    2018-104CELECTRON KICK STAGE R/B2023 Oct 112023 Sep 21
41954    2017-008GINS-1B2023 Oct 122023 Sep 13
52177    2022-033WSPACEBEE-1392023 Oct 122023 Sep 21
56312    1998-067VDAURORASAT2023 Oct 122023 Sep 21
57666    2023-124DSTARLINK-303012023 Oct 132023 Sep 21
26959    2001-049CBIRD 22023 Oct 142023 Sep 7
52182    2022-033ABSPACEBEE-1282023 Oct 152023 Sep 21
56314    1998-067VFLIGHTCUBE2023 Oct 162023 Sep 21
44410    2019-038AAD STAR ONE (EXOCONNECT)2023 Oct 172023 Sep 21
42792    2017-036ADROBUSTA 1B2023 Oct 182023 Sep 13
52186    2022-033AFSPACEBEE-1372023 Oct 182023 Sep 21
20303    1989-085BDELTA 2 R/B(1)2023 Oct 192023 Sep 21
52179    2022-033YSPACEBEE-1292023 Oct 202023 Sep 21
52183    2022-033ACSPACEBEE-1332023 Oct 202023 Sep 13
57466    2023-107KSTARLINK-301562023 Oct 202023 Sep 21
52180    2022-033ZSPACEBEE-1342023 Oct 222023 Sep 21
52181    2022-033AASPACEBEE-1312023 Oct 222023 Sep 13
25735    1999-026ATERRIERS2023 Oct 232023 Sep 7
44738    2019-074ABSTARLINK-10332023 Oct 232023 Sep 21
44957    2020-001AVSTARLINK-10742023 Oct 232023 Sep 21
51471    2022-010RSTARLINK-31652023 Oct 232023 Sep 21
43743    2018-096AAREAKTOR HELLO WORLD2023 Oct 242023 Sep 13


Recent TIP Messages

Publication of TIP messages is not a matter of routine and they are not issued for all re-entries. They are more up to date and more precise than entries in the table and take precedence over them.

Readers unfamiliar with how to interpret TIP messages are recommended to read the Note at the bottom of the page.

Sometimes there may be a delay between the final TIP message and the re-entry being formally logged in Space-Track's Catalogue so a Message here may relate to a re-entry that has not yet moved from the 'Anticipated' list to the 'Recent' list.

Orbital Focus shows the predicted impact point only when the Window is less than about one quarter orbit. Even then it represents as much as +/-9000 km.

Table created: 2023 Sep 24, 22:47 UTC

Cat No &
Designation
Name
(Space-Track)
Predicted
Date & Time UTC
Lat, Long & Heading
(10 km altitude)
TIP Message
Issued UTC
57863
2023-143B
SL-4 R/B2023 Sep 18 04:47
± 1 minutes
45°.5 south, 31°.1 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2023 Sep 18 05:33
57796
2023-135E
CERES-1 R/B2023 Sep 25 05:38
± 180 minutes
2023 Sep 24 17:51
57494
2023-112B
FALCON 9 R/B2023 Sep 21 11:40
± 1 minutes
18°.5 south, 103°.2 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2023 Sep 21 22:26
55476
2023-015AD
STARLINK-55962023 Sep 26 13:24
± 900 minutes
2023 Sep 23 16:43
47886
2021-021AC
STARLINK-23452023 Sep 27 15:33
± 840 minutes
2023 Sep 24 19:41
47779
2021-017BK
STARLINK-22122023 Sep 25 03:54
± 60 minutes
2023 Sep 24 22:22
46929
2020-085A
ELECTRON KICK STAGE R/B2023 Sep 21 12:36
± 8 minutes
10°.0 south, 51°.9 east
southbound, ± 0.09 orbits
2023 Sep 21 20:11
45694
2020-035AP
STARLINK-14192023 Sep 24 10:58
± 2 minutes
29°.6 south, 108°.3 east
southbound, ± 0.02 orbits
2023 Sep 24 14:01
44731
2019-074U
STARLINK-10262023 Sep 22 22:11
± 14 minutes
0°.9 south, 110°.3 west
northbound, ± 0.16 orbits
2023 Sep 23 03:17
35754
2009-043C
DELTA 2 R/B(2) (PAM-D)2023 Sep 18 05:02
± 18 minutes
39°.7 north, 154°.4 west
northbound, ± 0.2 orbits
2023 Sep 18 14:31
11509
1979-077A
COSMOS 11242023 Sep 25 08:58
± 840 minutes
2023 Sep 22 12:19


Recent Re-entries

This table is extracted from Space-Track's Catalogue and lists major re-entries that occurred in the last 30 days, whether natural or deliberate. The list is updated every few hours.


Cat No Designation Name (SpaceTrack) Date UTC
 
42773   2017-036JLEMUR 2 LUCYBRYCE2023 Sep 22
44041   2018-092COBJECT A2023 Sep 22
44731   2019-074USTARLINK-10262023 Sep 22
46840   2020-079PNUSAT-16 LISE2023 Sep 22
47473   2021-006BNFLOCK 4S 352023 Sep 22
57494   2023-112BFALCON 9 R/B2023 Sep 22
46929   2020-085AELECTRON KICK STAGE R/B2023 Sep 21
44813   2019-081KFLOCK 4P 22023 Sep 19
46830   2020-079DNUSAT-15 KATHERINE2023 Sep 19
48891   2021-059NSPACEBEENZ-82023 Sep 19
35754   2009-043CDELTA 2 R/B(2) (PAM-D)2023 Sep 18
57863   2023-143BSL-4 R/B2023 Sep 18
39069   2013-003BKSLV-1 R/B2023 Sep 16
44227   2019-026CELECTRON KICK STAGE R/B2023 Sep 15
48882   2021-059DSPACEBEENZ-102023 Sep 15
48887   2021-059JSPACEBEENZ-92023 Sep 15
44635   2019-069BELECTRON R/B2023 Sep 14
39026   2012-072AKMS 3-22023 Sep 13
55702   2023-026HSTARLINK-300422023 Sep 13
48889   2021-059LSPACEBEENZ-72023 Sep 12
50990   2022-002GFOSSASAT2E32023 Sep 12
54237   2022-152ATIANZHOU 52023 Sep 12
44739   2019-074ACSTARLINK-10342023 Sep 11
57695   2023-126CELECTRON R/B2023 Sep 11
57619   2023-119TSTARLINK-302202023 Sep 10
42771   2017-036GLEMUR 2 SHAINAJOHL2023 Sep 8
44042   2018-092DOBJECT B2023 Sep 8
52750   2022-057UFOSSASAT2E112023 Sep 8
57478   2023-107XSTARLINK-301672023 Sep 7
39134   2013-015ESOMP2023 Sep 6
42782   2017-036TLEMUR 2 MCPEAKE2023 Sep 6
43697   2018-088HLEMUR 2 CHANUSIAK2023 Sep 6
46831   2020-079ENUSAT-14 HEDY2023 Sep 6
51071   2022-002CRCAPELLA-8 (WHITNEY)2023 Sep 6
55740   2023-027ADRAGON ENDEAVOUR 42023 Sep 4
56514   2023-065MSTARLINK-53432023 Sep 4
42774   2017-036KLEMUR 2 KUNGFOO2023 Aug 30
51098   2022-003ESTORK-32023 Aug 29
51072   2022-002CSCAPELLA-7 (WHITNEY)2023 Aug 26


Note on TIP Messages

Close to re-entry time for many objects, SpaceTrack issues TIP Messages with a more-precise warning of the event. The meaning of the TIP acronym is 'Tracking and Impact Prediction'.

The message includes an estimated latitude and longitude for when the object will go through a height of 10 kilometres (definition - Space-Track) above the ground based on the estimated time. It is a rough indication of the start point of the ellipse within which debris might fall given that horizontal velocity will have reduced to near-zero because of air resistance. In most cases, the location is meaningless in practical terms because the Window included in the Message covers a long track across the Earth's surface.

TIP Messages are often a source of confusion as people take the predicted time literally and ignore the error margin (Window) that is also part of the message. In 2011 RIA-Novosti used a TIP Message, issued several weeks in advance, to pinpoint a village in North Africa, doggedly insisting that it would feel the full force of of Phobos-Grunt’s re-entry. SpaceTrack's Window was ±2 days, representing over one million kilometres of ground track and a large proportion of the Earth's surface between 52° North and 52° South.


Page information updated as available

Copyright © Robert Christy, all rights reserved
Reproduction of this web page or any of its content without permission from the website owner is prohibited