Atmospheric Re-entry PredictionsSatellite Re-entry Tracker
As of , 5 satellites and rocket stages are predicted to re-enter in the next 7 days, and 3 objects re-entered in the last 48 hours.
Live Re-entry Map
- Possible re-entry path ±3 h
- Predicted point
- Where it is now
- Could be seen from (dark sky)
- 2Other predicted re-entries
81% of the possible path is over ocean · 45% in darkness
Decay timeline
Re-entries in the Next 7 Days
Every object with an official re-entry prediction, on one timeline, soonest first. Tap one to see its forecast history. The highlighted path on the map shows where the object could re-enter, narrowing as the prediction window tightens.
- Official re-entry window
- Predicted time
- Earlier predictions
- Due within 24 hours
- Now
- Night where you are: add your place
- Days and times in your time zone
| # | Object | Predicted | Window | Predicted over | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today 7 Nov2 re-entries | |||||
| 1 | STARLINK-1338United States · 260 kg · NORAD 45532 | plus or minus 3 h | Indian Ocean | ||
| 2 | STARLINK-1730United States · 260 kg · NORAD 46563 | plus or minus 60 min | Indian Ocean | ||
| Mon 9 Nov2 re-entries | |||||
| 3 | STARLINK-5701United States · 305 kg · NORAD 55487 | plus or minus 14 h | near Biltine, Wadi Fira, Chad | ||
| 4 | STARLINK-4607United States · 305 kg · NORAD 53740 | plus or minus 19 h | South Atlantic Ocean | ||
| Wed 11 Nov1 re-entry | |||||
| 5 | STARLINK-1274United States · 260 kg · NORAD 45387 | plus or minus 19 h | Indian Ocean | ||
What Re-entered in the Last 48 Hours
In the last 48 hours 3 objects re-entered, on the official record. Nearly all burn up completely. Once an official record arrives, each object is entered in the Orbital Register, the permanent record of every re-entry.
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STARLINK-1420Satellite
Final official estimate ±1 min, over the Indian Ocean
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STARLINK-36253Satellite
Final official estimate ±16 min, over the South Pacific Ocean
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W-SERIES 8Satellite
Re-entered on 5 November 2026 (official record)
Is It Over Me?
See whether any predicted re-entry path passes near you, when, whether your sky will be dark enough to see it, and where to look.
How Accurate Are Re-entry Forecasts?
How close official re-entry predictions came to the final time, by how far ahead they were issued. A prediction "held" when the final time fell inside its stated window.
Middle half of misses Typical miss Typical stated window
Graded using Orbital Radar verification methods: 762 official predictions for 118 re-entries since 23 August 2026, updated hourly. Sources and methods
How to See a Satellite Re-entry
Large re-entries can be spectacular. A satellite or rocket body burning up in the atmosphere looks like a slow-moving fireball that gradually breaks apart into several glowing fragments, leaving bright trails across the sky. Unlike meteors, which last a second or two, a re-entry can last 30 seconds to several minutes.
When to look: a re-entry is easiest to see from a dark sky. Check the countdown above and Is it over me?: if a predicted path passes within a few hundred kilometres of you in darkness, look in the direction it gives.
How to tell: re-entries move across the sky along the object's orbital path, slowly and almost level, while meteors usually streak in at steep angles and vanish in a moment.
For regular satellite spotting, see our ISS viewing guide or Starlink viewing guide, or use the pass predictor.
| Re-entry | Meteor | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed across the sky | Slow, steady | Very fast |
| How long | 30 s to several minutes | Under 2 seconds |
| Pieces | Breaks into a train of fragments | Usually one streak |
| Path | Long, shallow, follows an orbit | Short, often steep |
| Entry speed | About 7.8 km/s | 11 to 72 km/s |
What Survives Re-entry?
Most objects burn up completely. A few materials survive the extreme heating (up to 1,600°C and more), which is why large objects are watched closely. What happens during re-entry
Risk to individual: ~1 in 10 trillion for anyone on the ground, from any single re-entry. Most surviving pieces fall into the ocean.
- Aluminium panelsBurns up
Aluminium melts at about 660°C, well below re-entry temperatures. Structure, panels and antenna mounts are destroyed.
- Solar panelsBurns up
Thin composites and cells oxidise and break up early.
- ElectronicsBurns up
Circuit boards and wiring are light and melt early in the descent.
- Reaction wheelsSometimes survives
Dense metal flywheels inside a housing can reach the ground even when the rest burns.
- Optics and glassSometimes survives
Thick glass shielded by surrounding structure occasionally reaches the ground.
- Titanium tanksOften survives
Titanium melts at about 1,670°C and conducts heat slowly: tanks and fittings often survive intact.
- Steel tanksOften survives
Stainless steel (about 1,500°C) has enough thermal mass to survive; wrapped pressure vessels are common finds.
- Engine nozzlesOften survives
Carbon-carbon and heavy alloys in nozzles withstand extreme heat and are among the most likely parts to land.
About Satellite Re-entry
Re-entry occurs when an orbiting object loses enough altitude that it enters the denser layers of Earth's atmosphere and can no longer sustain orbit. Between about 120 and 80 km altitude, drag causes extreme heating (the surface can exceed 1,600°C) and most objects disintegrate completely.
Controlled and uncontrolled: controlled re-entries use on-board propulsion to target a remote ocean area, usually the South Pacific near Point Nemo, the point on Earth furthest from any land. Uncontrolled re-entries happen when the object has no propulsion left, so where it comes down stays uncertain until the final orbits.
How predictions narrow: official predictions for an object about to re-enter start days ahead with windows of many hours and tighten to minutes as it descends. This tracker shows each one as it is issued, and keeps the earlier ones so you can see how the forecast moved.
The number of re-entries is rising as the orbital population grows, particularly with mega-constellations like Starlink routinely deorbiting satellites at the end of their lives. Responsible deorbiting is an active area of space policy. Learn more about space debris.