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ESO

Re-entered 5 Apr 1993

ESO (NORAD 22486, COSPAR 1990-104AG) was a RU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 5 Apr 1993, launched on 28 Nov 1990 on the Kol'tso No. 3L 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
1993
re-entered
3
years on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched28 Nov 1990 · on the Kol'tso No. 3L mission
Operational28 Nov 1990 · entered service
Retired28 Nov 1990 · end of operational service
Re-entered5 Apr 1993 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID22486
COSPAR1990-104AG
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateRU
ManufacturerYUZHUA
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude468 × 475 km
Inclination82.5°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 5 Apr 1993, 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 Apr 1993, 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

Kol'tso No. 3LRe-entered 2000ESORe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1992ESORe-entered 1991
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.