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ESO

Re-entered 26 May 1988

ESO (NORAD 16959, COSPAR 1985-050V) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 26 May 1988, launched on 19 Jun 1985 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.

1985
launched
1988
re-entered
3
years on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched19 Jun 1985 · on the Romb mission
Operational10 Sep 1986 · entered service
Retired10 Sep 1986 · end of operational service
Re-entered26 May 1988 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID16959
COSPAR1985-050V
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateSU
ManufacturerYUZH
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude481 × 499 km
Inclination65.8°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 26 May 1988, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1985. 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 May 1988, 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-2B (07)Re-entered 1989ESORe-entered 1988ESORe-entered 1987ESORe-entered 1987ESORe-entered 1988ESORe-entered 1988ESORe-entered 1986ESORe-entered 1986
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.