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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

PICSAT

Re-entered 3 Oct 2023

PICSAT (NORAD 43132, COSPAR 2018-004X) was a F satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 3 Oct 2023, launched on 12 Jan 2018 on the PSLV Rideshare 11 mission. It was operated by OPM as part of the CNES Cube programme. The spacecraft was built by OPM on the Cubesat 3U 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.

2018
launched
2023
re-entered
5
years on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched12 Jan 2018 · on the PSLV Rideshare 11 mission
Operational20 Mar 2018 · entered service
Retired1 Sep 2023 · end of operational service
Re-entered3 Oct 2023 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID43132
COSPAR2018-004X
TypeSatellite
OperatorOPM
Country / StateF
ManufacturerOPM
BusCubesat 3U
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeCNES Cube
CategoryAST
OrbitLEO (LLEO/S)
Altitude494 × 505 km
Inclination97.6°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to PICSAT?

PICSAT re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 3 Oct 2023, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2018. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did PICSAT re-enter the atmosphere?

PICSAT re-entered on 3 Oct 2023, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

How long was PICSAT operational?

PICSAT was operational for roughly 5 years, from 20 Mar 2018 to 1 Sep 2023.

Who operated and built PICSAT?

PICSAT was operated by OPM and built by OPM (F).

Launched together

Cartosat-2ERNORAD 43111KAUSAT-5Re-entered 2023CANYVAL-X2Re-entered 2023Fox-1DRe-entered 2024STEP Cube LabRe-entered 2023SpaceBEE 4Re-entered 2022SpaceBEE 3Re-entered 2022SpaceBEE 2Re-entered 2022
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.