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ESO

Re-entered 5 Mar 1990

ESO (NORAD 20485, COSPAR 1990-012G) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 5 Mar 1990, launched on 6 Feb 1990 on the Duga-K 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.

1990
launched
1990
re-entered
0
years on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched6 Feb 1990 · on the Duga-K mission
Operational6 Feb 1990 · entered service
Retired6 Feb 1990 · end of operational service
Re-entered5 Mar 1990 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID20485
COSPAR1990-012G
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateSU
ManufacturerYUZH
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LEO/I)
Altitude183 × 1,754 km
Inclination65.8°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 5 Mar 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 ESO re-enter the atmosphere?

ESO re-entered on 5 Mar 1990, 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

Duga-K No. 2LRe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.