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Meteor-3 No. 1

Re-entered 31 Jan 1985

Meteor-3 No. 1 (NORAD 15406, COSPAR 1984-120A) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 31 Jan 1985, launched on 27 Nov 1984 on the Meteor-3 No. 1 mission. It was operated by GMS as part of the Meteor-3 programme. The spacecraft was built by VNIEM on the Meteor-3 bus, with a mass of 1,750 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.

1984
launched
1985
re-entered
1
year on orbit
1,750
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched27 Nov 1984 · on the Meteor-3 No. 1 mission
Operational1 Dec 1984 · entered service
Retired1 Dec 1984 · end of operational service
Re-entered31 Jan 1985 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID15406
COSPAR1984-120A
TypeSatellite
OperatorGMS
Country / StateSU
ManufacturerVNIEM
BusMeteor-3
Mass1,750 kg
ProgrammeMeteor-3
CategoryMET
OrbitLEO (LEO/I)
Altitude135 × 1,230 km
Inclination82.6°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Meteor-3 No. 1?

Meteor-3 No. 1 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 31 Jan 1985, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1984. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did Meteor-3 No. 1 re-enter the atmosphere?

Meteor-3 No. 1 re-entered on 31 Jan 1985, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Meteor-3 No. 1?

Meteor-3 No. 1 was operated by GMS and built by VNIEM (SU).

Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.