Uragan No. 31L

Re-entered 8 May 1991

Uragan No. 31L (NORAD 17903, COSPAR 1987-036B) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 8 May 1991, launched on 24 Apr 1987 on the Uragan No. 30L mission. It was operated by UNKS as part of the Uragan programme. The spacecraft was built by OAZ on the Uragan bus, with a mass of 1,300 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.

1987

launched

1991

re-entered

years on orbit

1,300

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched24 Apr 1987 · on the Uragan No. 30L mission

Operational29 Oct 1987 · entered service

Retired29 Oct 1987 · end of operational service

Re-entered8 May 1991 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID17903

COSPAR1987-036B

TypeSatellite

OperatorUNKS

Country / StateSU

ManufacturerOAZ

BusUragan

Mass1,300 kg (1,200 kg dry)

ProgrammeUragan

CategoryNAV

OrbitHEO (HEO)

Altitude188 × 17,467 km

Inclination64.8°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Uragan No. 31L?

Uragan No. 31L re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 8 May 1991, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1987. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did Uragan No. 31L re-enter the atmosphere?

Uragan No. 31L re-entered on 8 May 1991, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Uragan No. 31L?

Uragan No. 31L was operated by UNKS and built by OAZ (SU).

Launched together

Uragan No. 30LRe-entered 1991 Uragan No. 32LRe-entered 1991

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

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