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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

SURCAL

Re-entered 27 Mar 1981

SURCAL (NORAD 1310, COSPAR 1965-016G) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 27 Mar 1981, launched on 9 Mar 1965 on the Secor Type II S/N 1 mission. It was operated by NRL as part of the SURCAL programme. The spacecraft was built by NRL on the Surcal bus, with a mass of 5 kg. Like most satellites in low orbits, it was gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until re-entry. Historical record from Orbital Radar's satellite archive, cross-referenced with the live satellite catalogue.

1965
launched
1981
re-entered
16
years on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched9 Mar 1965 · on the Secor Type II S/N 1 mission
Operational1 Jan 1970 · entered service
Retired1 Jan 1970 · end of operational service
Re-entered27 Mar 1981 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID1310
COSPAR1965-016G
TypeSatellite
OperatorNRL
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerNRL
BusSurcal
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeSURCAL
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LEO/I)
Altitude909 × 937 km
Inclination70.1°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to SURCAL?

SURCAL re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 27 Mar 1981, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1965. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did SURCAL re-enter the atmosphere?

SURCAL re-entered on 27 Mar 1981, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built SURCAL?

SURCAL was operated by NRL and built by NRL (US).

Launched together

POPPY 4 BravoNORAD 1271POPPY 4 CharlieRe-entered 1965POPPY 4 DeltaRe-entered 1965POPPY 4 AlfaNORAD 1291Secor II S/N 1 (TR-27)NORAD 1208OSCAR 3NORAD 1293Dodecapole INORAD 1272
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.
Browse the live satellite directory → Re-entered satellites archive → Launch record: Secor Type II S/N 1 → What is space debris? →