Kometa No. 16L

Re-entered 6 May 1993

Kometa No. 16L (NORAD 22641, COSPAR 1993-028A) was a RU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 6 May 1993, launched on 27 Apr 1993 on the Kometa No. 16 mission. It was operated by VTSR as part of the Kometa programme. The spacecraft was built by TSSKB on the Yantar'-1KFT bus, with a mass of 2,720 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.

1993

launched

1993

re-entered

years on orbit

2,720

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched27 Apr 1993 · on the Kometa No. 16 mission

Operational6 May 1993 · entered service

Retired6 May 1993 · end of operational service

Re-entered6 May 1993 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID22641

COSPAR1993-028A

TypeSatellite

OperatorVTSR

Country / StateRU

ManufacturerTSSKB

BusYantar'-1KFT

Mass2,720 kg

ProgrammeKometa

CategoryIMG

OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)

Altitude190 × 238 km

Inclination70.3°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Kometa No. 16L?

Kometa No. 16L re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 6 May 1993, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1993. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did Kometa No. 16L re-enter the atmosphere?

Kometa No. 16L re-entered on 6 May 1993, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Kometa No. 16L?

Kometa No. 16L was operated by VTSR and built by TSSKB (RU).

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: Kometa No. 16 → What is space debris? →