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ESO

Re-entered 12 Feb 1992

ESO (NORAD 21872, COSPAR 1990-038R) was a RU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 12 Feb 1992, launched on 25 Apr 1990 on the Romb mission. It was operated by PVO as part of the ESO programme. The spacecraft was built by YUZHUA 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
1992
re-entered
2
years on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched25 Apr 1990 · on the Romb mission
Operational10 Feb 1992 · entered service
Retired10 Feb 1992 · end of operational service
Re-entered12 Feb 1992 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID21872
COSPAR1990-038R
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateRU
ManufacturerYUZHUA
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude242 × 258 km
Inclination74.0°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 12 Feb 1992, 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 12 Feb 1992, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built ESO?

ESO was operated by PVO and built by YUZHUA (RU).

Launched together

Taifun-2A No. 11LRe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1990ESORe-entered 1992
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.