/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
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Launches and Orbital Operations


Tyneside, UK
2023 Mar 25
Saturday, Day 84

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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.

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
46938    2020-085KSPACEBEENZ-32023 Mar 242023 Mar 1
46552    2020-070WSTARLINK-16492023 Mar 242023 Mar 24
43728    2018-096K3CAT-12023 Mar 252023 Mar 23
43940    2019-003JAOBA VELOX-IV2023 Mar 252023 Mar 23
46305    2020-061AKSPACEBEE-102023 Mar 262023 Mar 23
29093    2006-015BCZ-4B R/B2023 Mar 262023 Mar 24
53764    2022-109ECZ-2D R/B2023 Mar 272023 Mar 24
53523    2022-100BCZ-2D R/B2023 Mar 282023 Mar 25
55606    2023-020APSTARLINK-57232023 Mar 292023 Mar 1
46939    2020-085LSPACEBEENZ-42023 Mar 302023 Mar 15
48946    2021-059BVSPACEBEE-972023 Mar 302023 Mar 1
48949    2021-059BYSPACEBEE-982023 Mar 312023 Mar 1
51079    2022-002CZUSA 3232023 Mar 312023 Mar 23
47444    2021-006AHSPACEBEE-512023 Apr 12023 Mar 23
28118    2003-057BATLAS 3B CENTAUR R/B2023 Apr 22023 Mar 23
48627    2021-006ETSPACEBEE-642023 Apr 22023 Mar 23
42768    2017-036DLITUANICASAT 22023 Apr 42023 Mar 9
44963    2020-001BBSTARLINK-10852023 Apr 42023 Mar 23
47426    2021-006PSPACEBEE-462023 Apr 42023 Mar 23
46941    2020-085NSPACEBEENZ-52023 Apr 52023 Mar 23
48936    2021-059BKSPACEBEE-992023 Apr 52023 Mar 1
46834    2020-079HOBJECT H2023 Apr 72023 Mar 1
47451    2021-006AQSPACEBEE-412023 Apr 72023 Mar 23
48626    2021-006ESSPACEBEE-652023 Apr 72023 Mar 23
47434    2021-006XSPACEBEE-532023 Apr 82023 Mar 23
47449    2021-006ANSPACEBEE-402023 Apr 82023 Mar 23
44814    2019-081LFLOCK 4P 12023 Apr 92023 Mar 23
47481    2021-006BWCAPELLA-4 (WHITNEY)2023 Apr 92023 Mar 23
45119    2019-071JHO-1072023 Apr 102023 Mar 23
46307    2020-061AMSPACEBEE-112023 Apr 112023 Mar 23
46942    2020-085PSPACEBEENZ-62023 Apr 112023 Mar 23
47427    2021-006QSPACEBEE-472023 Apr 112023 Mar 23
47455    2021-006AUSPACEBEE-422023 Apr 112023 Mar 23
47464    2021-006BDSPACEBEE-582023 Apr 112023 Mar 23
49392    2021-101CCZ-2D R/B2023 Apr 112023 Mar 1
47460    2021-006AZSPACEBEE-542023 Apr 122023 Mar 23
28939    2006-005AASTRO F (AKARI)2023 Apr 132023 Mar 9
44770    2019-074BKSTARLINK-10652023 Apr 142023 Mar 23
46742    2020-074DSTARLINK-18722023 Apr 142023 Mar 23
48628    2021-006EUSPACEBEE-662023 Apr 142023 Mar 23
27370    2002-004ARHESSI2023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
39465    2013-072DAEROCUBE 5A2023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
45046    2020-006CSTARLINK-11292023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
46309    2020-061APSPACEBEE-122023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
46774    2020-074AMSTARLINK-19392023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
47428    2021-006RSPACEBEE-592023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
48629    2021-006EVSPACEBEE-672023 Apr 182023 Mar 23
43144    2018-004AKTYVAK-61C2023 Apr 192023 Mar 1
44824    2019-084AALE-22023 Apr 192023 Mar 23
45202    2020-012AASTARLINK-12032023 Apr 192023 Mar 23
54057    2022-136GSTARLINK-52162023 Apr 192023 Mar 23
30774    2007-006COE (NEXTSAT)2023 Apr 202023 Mar 23
48012    2021-024AMSTARLINK-22162023 Apr 202023 Mar 23
53304    2022-087FZK-1A R/B2023 Apr 202023 Mar 23
48630    2021-006EWSPACEBEE-682023 Apr 212023 Mar 23
55666    2023-021AQSTARLINK-54572023 Apr 232023 Mar 23
44742    2019-074AFSTARLINK-10372023 Apr 242023 Mar 23
46310    2020-061AQSPACEBEE-132023 Apr 242023 Mar 23
48631    2021-006EXSPACEBEE-692023 Apr 242023 Mar 23


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 Mar 25, 20:47 UTC

Cat No &
Designation
Name
(Space-Track)
Predicted
Date & Time UTC
Lat, Long & Heading
(10 km altitude)
TIP Message
Issued UTC
55977
2023-039E
KZ-1A R/B2023 Mar 23 08:37
± 1 minutes
23°.7 north, 80°.1 west
northbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2023 Mar 23 13:39
55568
2023-019G
SS3 DEB2023 Mar 18 12:18
± 180 minutes
2023 Mar 18 16:48
53764
2022-109E
CZ-2D R/B2023 Mar 27 13:16
± 840 minutes
2023 Mar 24 21:41
53523
2022-100B
CZ-2D R/B2023 Mar 28 09:39
± 900 minutes
2023 Mar 25 09:57
52321
2022-043B
CZ-2C DEB2023 Mar 19 09:26
± 1 minutes
82°.6 north, 113°.5 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2023 Mar 19 10:51
46552
2020-070W
STARLINK-16492023 Mar 24 08:30
± 1 minutes
44°.3 south, 167°.8 east
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2023 Mar 24 14:05
45530
2020-024B
QASED R/B2023 Mar 19 00:48
± 19 minutes
50°.3 north, 159°.9 east
southbound, ± 0.22 orbits
2023 Mar 19 06:28
45265
1998-067RJ
ISS DEB (ICS-EF)2023 Mar 18 04:28
± 1 minutes
42°.9 north, 127°.4 west
southbound, ± 0.01 orbits
2023 Mar 18 05:55
29093
2006-015B
CZ-4B R/B2023 Mar 26 17:02
± 600 minutes
2023 Mar 24 16:56


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
 
42995   2017-068JFLOCK 3M 12023 Mar 24
43940   2019-003JAOBA VELOX-IV2023 Mar 24
46552   2020-070WSTARLINK-16492023 Mar 24
55356   2023-013ABSTARLINK-50832023 Mar 23
55977   2023-039EKZ-1A R/B2023 Mar 23
41951   2017-008DFLOCK 3P 82023 Mar 22
41990   2017-008AUFLOCK 3P 332023 Mar 22
46938   2020-085KSPACEBEENZ-32023 Mar 22
55911   2023-035DOBJECT D2023 Mar 22
41610   2016-040MFLOCK 2P 92023 Mar 20
41968   2017-008WFLOCK 3P 32023 Mar 20
41980   2017-008AJFLOCK 3P 702023 Mar 20
43722   2018-096DCENTAURI 22023 Mar 20
45113   2019-071COF-22023 Mar 20
47447   2021-006ALSPACEBEE-482023 Mar 20
48934   2021-059BHSPACEBEE-962023 Mar 20
45530   2020-024BQASED R/B2023 Mar 19
43192   2018-015AFENGMANIU 12023 Mar 16
47301   2020-102FCZ-8 R/B2023 Mar 16
44087   2019-018KLEMUR 2 VICTOR-ANDREW2023 Mar 15
44090   2019-018NFLOCK 4A 192023 Mar 15
44095   2019-018TFLOCK 4A 52023 Mar 15
46957   2020-085AESPACEBEENZ-22023 Mar 15
47872   2021-021NSTARLINK-23282023 Mar 15
48945   2021-059BUSPACEBEE-952023 Mar 15
54816   2021-035CXW-4 (CAS-10)2023 Mar 15
42010   2017-008BQFLOCK 3P 402023 Mar 14
42795   2017-036AGTYVAK 53B2023 Mar 14
43934   2019-003CRISESAT2023 Mar 14
44088   2019-018LFLOCK 4A 172023 Mar 14
45121   2019-071LCIRIS2023 Mar 14
47972   2021-023HPHOTON-022023 Mar 14
48932   2021-059BFSPACEBEE-922023 Mar 14
48937   2021-059BLSPACEBEE-942023 Mar 14
52148   1998-067TKKITSUNE2023 Mar 14
53963   2022-124ADRAGON ENDURANCE 22023 Mar 12
39380   2013-064ASTPSAT-32023 Mar 11
47890   2021-021AGSTARLINK-23502023 Mar 11
53317   2022-088BCZ-2D R/B2023 Mar 11
53462   1998-067UBHSU-SAT12023 Mar 11
55606   2023-020APSTARLINK-57232023 Mar 10
52260   2021-092CSZ-13 MODULE2023 Mar 8
52910   2022-068DCZ-2D R/B2023 Mar 8
37838   2011-058AMEGHA-TROPIQUES2023 Mar 7
41950   2017-008CFLOCK 3P 202023 Mar 7
41976   2017-008AEFLOCK 3P 602023 Mar 7
44084   2019-018GLEMUR 2 JOHANLORAN2023 Mar 7
44416   2019-022FQUANTUM-RADAR 32023 Mar 7
46959   2020-085AGSPACEBEENZ-12023 Mar 7
48933   2021-059BGSPACEBEE-892023 Mar 7
48940   2021-059BPSPACEBEE-912023 Mar 7
41612   2016-040PFLOCK 2P 102023 Mar 6
47425   2021-006NSPACEBEE-522023 Mar 6
38997   2012-064AHJ-1C2023 Mar 1
48947   2021-059BWSPACEBEE-902023 Mar 1
42031   2017-008CMFLOCK 3P 462023 Feb 28
42033   2017-008CPFLOCK 3P 442023 Feb 28
42044   2017-008DAFLOCK 3P 872023 Feb 28
42049   2017-008DFFLOCK 3P 312023 Feb 28
42997   2017-068LFLOCK 3M 42023 Feb 28
43904   2018-111AEFLOCK 3K 112023 Feb 28
46269   2020-060BCAPELLA-22023 Feb 28
47166   2020-088AWSTARLINK-18812023 Feb 28
48939   2021-059BNSPACEBEE-932023 Feb 27
54025   2022-127CELECTRON R/B2023 Feb 27
47489   2021-006CECAPELLA-3 (WHITNEY)2023 Feb 26
55689   2023-024BSL-4 R/B2023 Feb 26
41999   2017-008BDBGUSAT2023 Feb 24
43744   2018-096ABHIBER-12023 Feb 24
48935   2021-059BJSPACEBEE-882023 Feb 24


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

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