/nAnticipated and Recent 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
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Launches and Orbital Operations


Tyneside, UK
2026 Apr 12
Sunday, Day 102

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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.

The majority of 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 an actual landing.


Anticipated Re-entries

Information comes from Space-Track. Most entries are from the '60-day' decay prediction messages. If the re-entry date has already passed then you might find the object is also in the Recent Re-entries list further down the page.

Below are re-entries expected over the next days. The list includes only natural re-entries and it excludes planned events such as a Soyuz, Shenzhou or Dragon spacecraft returning from space station duties.

Table created: 2026 Apr 12, 06:03 UTC

Cat No Designation Name
(SpaceTrack)
Predicted
Date UTC
Prediction
Issued UTC
56293    2023-056HStarlink 300902026 Apr 112026 Apr 8
66911    1998-067XXname not known2026 Apr 122026 Apr 8
30674    1999-025AQGFengyun 1C debris2026 Apr 132026 Apr 8
42361    2000-055RDNOAA 16 debris2026 Apr 132026 Apr 8
47657    2021-012APStarlink 20412026 Apr 132026 Apr 1
56401    2023-061ADStarlink 62562026 Apr 132026 Apr 12
68413    2026-066BLijian 2 second stage2026 Apr 132026 Apr 12
67922    2026-036UStarlink 363832026 Apr 132026 Apr 11
46376    2020-062BDStarlink 17422026 Apr 142026 Apr 1
54890    2022-151QBCZ 6A debris2026 Apr 142026 Apr 8
61377    2024-140WSCZ 6A debris2026 Apr 142026 Apr 8
53901    2022-119RStarlink 50242026 Apr 142026 Apr 12
52534    2022-051BStarlink 39522026 Apr 142026 Apr 10
68224    2026-053TStarlink 369772026 Apr 142026 Apr 11
34010    1993-036GVCosmos 2251 debris2026 Apr 152026 Apr 8
63382    2025-063VStarlink 336332026 Apr 152026 Apr 8
47667    2021-012AZStarlink 20582026 Apr 152026 Apr 12
68411    2026-065DElectron stage 32026 Apr 152026 Apr 12
46700    2020-073AGStarlink 18002026 Apr 162026 Apr 8
52451    2022-049AStarlink 38702026 Apr 162026 Apr 8
65941    1998-067XNYotsuba-KUlover2026 Apr 162026 Apr 8
47622    2021-012CStarlink 16452026 Apr 162026 Apr 11
53965    2022-125BStarlink 45782026 Apr 162026 Apr 11
20947    1990-100CAriane 42P rocket stage2026 Apr 172026 Apr 1
30613    1999-025AMUFengyun 1C debris2026 Apr 172026 Apr 8
59245    2024-049QStarlink 312682026 Apr 172026 Apr 8
60638    2024-140APCZ-6A debris2026 Apr 172026 Apr 8
63666    2025-085CStarlink 116642026 Apr 172026 Apr 8
65943    1998-067XQIWATO2026 Apr 172026 Apr 8
26661    1999-057LTCZ 4 debris2026 Apr 182026 Apr 1
34886    1993-036ACZCosmos 2251 debris2026 Apr 182026 Apr 8
46274    2020-061CION SCV 0012026 Apr 182026 Apr 8
46564    2020-070AJStarlink 17332026 Apr 182026 Apr 1
46578    2020-070AYStarlink 16832026 Apr 182026 Apr 8
46744    2020-074FStarlink 18942026 Apr 182026 Apr 8
46038    2020-055MStarlink 15672026 Apr 182026 Apr 11
27126    2001-049BWPSLV debris2026 Apr 192026 Apr 1
34464    1993-036THCosmos 2251 debris2026 Apr 192026 Apr 1
46164    2020-057AZStarlink 16122026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
47380    2021-005AHStarlink 21002026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
47566    2021-009UStarlink 19652026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
47624    2021-012EStarlink 16692026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
47679    2021-012BMStarlink 20952026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
51816    2022-017BAStarlink 36032026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
58277    2023-174XTiger 52026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
63490    2025-052BLHYDRA-W2026 Apr 192026 Apr 1
66402    2025-257YStarlink 356442026 Apr 192026 Apr 1
66909    1998-067XVSilversat2026 Apr 192026 Apr 1
68127    2026-046AFirefly Alpha second stage2026 Apr 192026 Apr 8
46681    2020-073MStarlink 17752026 Apr 202026 Apr 1
46792    2020-074BFStarlink 19342026 Apr 202026 Apr 1
54908    2022-151QVCZ 6A debris2026 Apr 202026 Apr 1
57430    2023-105AStarlink 301892026 Apr 202026 Apr 8
63811    2025-092HStarlink 341102026 Apr 202026 Apr 8


Recent TIP Messages

TIP messages are not a matter of routine and are not issued for all re-entries. They are more up to date and more precise than the Recent Re-entries list.

If you are unfamiliar with how to interpret TIP messages, you 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 entered the 'Recent' list.

Here is a list of TIP messages where the Window is less than about one quarter orbit. Even then it represents as much as ±9000 km of ground track. Where the window is ±1 minute, the re-entry signature was probably registered by a detector carried on a specialised 'space awareness' satellite.

Table created: 2026 Apr 12, 06:03 UTC

Cat No &
Designation
Name Terminal
Date & Time UTC
Lat, Long & Heading
(10 km altitude)
TIP Message
Issued UTC
68188
2026-050X
Starlink 363402026 Apr 10 09:08
± 2 minute(s)
52°.5 south, 73°.3 east
southbound, ± 0.02 orbits
2026 Apr 10 13:47
66402
2025-257Y
Starlink 356442026 Apr 10 11:15
± 1 minute(s)
10°.2 south, 115°.4 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 10 12:46
60735
2024-152R
Starlink 322722026 Apr 5 10:20
± 1 minute(s)
29°.8 south, 23°.3 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 5 12:16
59231
2024-049A
Starlink 313042026 Apr 6 05:30
± 1 minute(s)
19°.2 south, 133°.9 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 6 10:34
57473
2023-107S
Starlink 301872026 Apr 8 21:21
± 1 minute(s)
37°.7 south, 94°.6 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 9 02:48
56293
2023-056H
Starlink 300902026 Apr 8 08:58
± 1 minute(s)
1°.6 south, 118°.7 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 8 12:40
47724
2021-017C
Starlink 21162026 Apr 10 21:03
± 1 minute(s)
51°.6 south, 53°.3 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 10 22:41
47133
2020-088M
Starlink 18432026 Apr 6 07:49
± 1 minute(s)
8°.6 south, 25°.1 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 6 10:33
46354
2020-062AF
Starlink 16572026 Apr 10 04:32
± 1 minute(s)
36°.4 south, 114°.1 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 10 06:44
46131
2020-057Q
Starlink 16252026 Apr 9 10:26
± 1 minute(s)
49°.4 south, 23°.3 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 9 11:58
46117
2020-057A
Starlink 15852026 Apr 9 08:06
± 1 minute(s)
48°.7 south, 71°.4 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 9 11:48
44736
2019-074Z
Starlink2026 Apr 9 23:11
± 1 minute(s)
32°.8 south, 19°.5 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 10 03:13
40750
2015-037C
CZ 3B fourth stage2026 Apr 7 10:31
± 1 minute(s)
39°.9 north, 39°.9 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 7 12:40
18748
1988-001A
Cosmos 19082026 Apr 8 00:06
± 1 minute(s)
51°.3 north, 120°.3 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2026 Apr 8 03:48


Recent Re-entries

This table is extracted from Space-Track's Catalogue and lists re-entries that occurred in the last 30 days, whether natural or deliberate. Sometimes the date shown indicates when the object was noticed as 'missing from orbit', re-entry may actually have occurred at least one day earlier.

Table created: 2026 Apr 12, 06:03 UTC

Cat No Designation Name Date UTC
 
68538   2026-069AArtemis 22026 Apr 10
68188   2026-050XStarlink 363402026 Apr 10
66402   2025-257YStarlink 356442026 Apr 10
46349   2020-062AAStarlink 15752026 Apr 10
46354   2020-062AFStarlink 16572026 Apr 10
47724   2021-017CStarlink 21162026 Apr 10
62689   2025-009CJLOGSATS2026 Apr 9
44736   2019-074ZStarlink2026 Apr 9
46117   2020-057AStarlink 15852026 Apr 9
46131   2020-057QStarlink 16252026 Apr 9
18748   1988-001ACosmos 19082026 Apr 8
43182   2018-014CLemur-22026 Apr 8
56293   2023-056HStarlink 300902026 Apr 8
57473   2023-107SStarlink 301872026 Apr 8
60205   2024-125Cname not known2026 Apr 8
40750   2015-037CCZ 3B fourth stage2026 Apr 7
32184   1999-025CUEFengyun 1C debris2026 Apr 7
53657   2022-105KStarlink 44692026 Apr 6
47133   2020-088MStarlink 18432026 Apr 6
46267   2020-059CEchostar Global 12026 Apr 6
59231   2024-049AStarlink 313042026 Apr 6
62614   2025-009Fname not known2026 Apr 6
68376   2026-009EDebris item2026 Apr 6
51834   2022-019Lname not known2026 Apr 5
46717   2020-073AZStarlink 18202026 Apr 5
60735   2024-152RStarlink 322722026 Apr 5


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 lost in the mists of time so Space-Track has re-invented it as 'Tracking and Impact Prediction'.

The message includes an estimated time, latitude and longitude for when the object will go through a height of 10 kilometres (definition - Space-Track) above the ground. 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 some cases, the location is imprecise 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). 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.


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