Meteor (M) No. 16L

Re-entered 8 Jan 1999

Meteor (M) No. 16L (NORAD 4583, COSPAR 1970-085A) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 8 Jan 1999, launched on 15 Oct 1970 on the Meteor-M No. 16 mission. It was operated by GUKOSR / GMS as part of the Meteor C programme. The spacecraft was built by VNIEM on the Meteor bus, with a mass of 1,280 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.

1970

launched

1999

re-entered

years on orbit

1,280

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched15 Oct 1970 · on the Meteor-M No. 16 mission

Operational11 Dec 1970 · entered service

Retired11 Dec 1970 · end of operational service

Re-entered8 Jan 1999 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID4583

COSPAR1970-085A

TypeSatellite

OperatorGUKOSR / GMS

Country / StateSU

ManufacturerVNIEM

BusMeteor

Mass1,280 kg

ProgrammeMeteor C

CategoryMET

OrbitLEO (LEO/I)

Altitude625 × 645 km

Inclination81.2°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Meteor (M) No. 16L?

Meteor (M) No. 16L re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 8 Jan 1999, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1970. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did Meteor (M) No. 16L re-enter the atmosphere?

Meteor (M) No. 16L re-entered on 8 Jan 1999, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Meteor (M) No. 16L?

Meteor (M) No. 16L was operated by GUKOSR / GMS 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-M No. 16 → What is space debris? →