Meteor No. 5L

Re-entered 14 Nov 1989

Meteor No. 5L (NORAD 2254, COSPAR 1966-057A) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 14 Nov 1989, launched on 25 Jun 1966 on the Meteor 11F614 No. 5 mission. It was operated by VNIEM as part of the Meteor A programme. The spacecraft was built by VNIEM on the Meteor bus, with a mass of 1,250 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.

1966

launched

1989

re-entered

years on orbit

1,250

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched25 Jun 1966 · on the Meteor 11F614 No. 5 mission

Operational1 Oct 1966 · entered service

Retired1 Oct 1966 · end of operational service

Re-entered14 Nov 1989 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID2254

COSPAR1966-057A

TypeSatellite

OperatorVNIEM

Country / StateSU

ManufacturerVNIEM

BusMeteor

Mass1,250 kg

ProgrammeMeteor A

CategoryMET

OrbitLEO (LEO/I)

Altitude583 × 653 km

Inclination65.0°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Meteor No. 5L?

Meteor No. 5L re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 14 Nov 1989, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1966. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did Meteor No. 5L re-enter the atmosphere?

Meteor No. 5L re-entered on 14 Nov 1989, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Meteor No. 5L?

Meteor No. 5L was operated by VNIEM and built by VNIEM (SU).

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: Meteor 11F614 No. 5 → What is space debris? →