OV-102

Re-entered 20 Jan 1990

OV-102 (NORAD 20409, COSPAR 1990-002A) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 20 Jan 1990, launched on 9 Jan 1990 on the OV-102 Medium dep/Rend mission. It was operated by JSC as part of the OV-102 programme. The spacecraft was built by RWI on the STS OV bus, with a mass of 102,454 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.

1990

launched

1990

re-entered

years on orbit

102,454

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched9 Jan 1990 · on the OV-102 Medium dep/Rend mission

Operational20 Jan 1990 · entered service

Retired20 Jan 1990 · end of operational service

Re-entered20 Jan 1990 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID20409

COSPAR1990-002A

TypeSatellite

OperatorJSC

Country / StateUS

ManufacturerRWI

BusSTS OV

Mass102,454 kg (92,337 kg dry)

ProgrammeOV-102

CategorySS

OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)

Altitude319 × 337 km

Inclination28.5°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to OV-102?

OV-102 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 20 Jan 1990, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1990. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did OV-102 re-enter the atmosphere?

OV-102 re-entered on 20 Jan 1990, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built OV-102?

OV-102 was operated by JSC and built by RWI (US).

Launched together

Syncom IV-5Re-entered 1997

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

Browse the live satellite directory → Re-entered satellites archive → Launch record: OV-102 Medium dep/Rend → What is space debris? →