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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

GRAIL B

Re-entered 11 Sep 2011

GRAIL B (NORAD 37802, COSPAR 2011-046B) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 11 Sep 2011, launched on 10 Sep 2011 on the GRAIL A mission. It was operated by JPL as part of the Discovery programme. The spacecraft was built by LMSSD on the GRAIL bus, with a mass of 307 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.

2011
launched
2011
re-entered
0
years on orbit
307
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched10 Sep 2011 · on the GRAIL A mission
Operational17 Dec 2012 · entered service
Retired17 Dec 2012 · end of operational service
Re-entered11 Sep 2011 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID37802
COSPAR2011-046B
TypeSatellite
OperatorJPL
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerLMSSD
BusGRAIL
Mass307 kg (201 kg dry)
ProgrammeDiscovery
CategoryPLAN
OrbitBEO (CLO)
Altitude80 × 1,240,609 km
Inclination29.5°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to GRAIL B?

GRAIL B re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 11 Sep 2011, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2011. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did GRAIL B re-enter the atmosphere?

GRAIL B re-entered on 11 Sep 2011, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built GRAIL B?

GRAIL B was operated by JPL and built by LMSSD (US).

Launched together

GRAIL ARe-entered 2011
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.