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ESO

Re-entered 26 Feb 1983

ESO (NORAD 13863, COSPAR 1982-034X) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 26 Feb 1983, launched on 21 Apr 1982 on the Romb mission. It was operated by PVO as part of the ESO programme. The spacecraft was built by YUZH on the ESO 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.

1982
launched
1983
re-entered
1
year on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched21 Apr 1982 · on the Romb mission
Operational20 Feb 1983 · entered service
Retired20 Feb 1983 · end of operational service
Re-entered26 Feb 1983 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID13863
COSPAR1982-034X
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateSU
ManufacturerYUZH
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude178 × 209 km
Inclination50.6°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 26 Feb 1983, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1982. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did ESO re-enter the atmosphere?

ESO re-entered on 26 Feb 1983, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built ESO?

ESO was operated by PVO and built by YUZH (SU).

Launched together

Taifun-2V (05)Re-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983ESORe-entered 1983
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.