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ESO

Re-entered 27 Jan 1989

ESO (NORAD 19507, COSPAR 1988-065H) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 27 Jan 1989, launched on 28 Jul 1988 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.

1988
launched
1989
re-entered
1
year on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched28 Jul 1988 · on the Romb mission
Operational16 Sep 1988 · entered service
Retired16 Sep 1988 · end of operational service
Re-entered27 Jan 1989 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID19507
COSPAR1988-065H
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateSU
ManufacturerYUZH
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude464 × 513 km
Inclination65.9°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 27 Jan 1989, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1988. 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 27 Jan 1989, 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 (10)Re-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1989
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.