HomeLibraryRe-entered SatellitesOrbital Factory 2
🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

Orbital Factory 2

Re-entered 20 Mar 2023

Orbital Factory 2 (NORAD 45113, COSPAR 2019-071C) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 20 Mar 2023, launched on 2 Nov 2019 on the Cygnus NG-12 mission. It was operated by UTEP as part of the UTEP programme. The spacecraft was built by UTEP on the Cubesat 1U bus, with a mass of 1 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.

2019
launched
2023
re-entered
4
years on orbit
1
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched2 Nov 2019 · on the Cygnus NG-12 mission
Operational1 Mar 2023 · entered service
Retired1 Mar 2023 · end of operational service
Re-entered20 Mar 2023 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID45113
COSPAR2019-071C
TypeSatellite
OperatorUTEP
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerUTEP
BusCubesat 1U
Mass1 kg
ProgrammeUTEP
CategoryTECH
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude459 × 474 km
Inclination51.6°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Orbital Factory 2?

Orbital Factory 2 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 20 Mar 2023, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2019. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did Orbital Factory 2 re-enter the atmosphere?

Orbital Factory 2 re-entered on 20 Mar 2023, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Orbital Factory 2?

Orbital Factory 2 was operated by UTEP and built by UTEP (US).

Launched together

STPSat-4Re-entered 2019HARPRe-entered 2022SOCRATESRe-entered 2022PhoenixRe-entered 2022MVP-ARe-entered 2022RadSat-URe-entered 2022Cygnus NG-12Re-entered 2019AC-14ARe-entered 2023
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.