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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

SpaceBEE NZ-5

Re-entered 5 Apr 2023

SpaceBEE NZ-5 (NORAD 46941, COSPAR 2020-085N) was a NZ satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 5 Apr 2023, launched on 20 Nov 2020 on the Electron 16 Rideshare mission. It was operated by SWARNZ as part of the Swarm programme. The spacecraft was built by SWARM on the Cubesat 0.25U bus, with a mass of 0.284 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.

2020
launched
2023
re-entered
3
years on orbit
0.284
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched20 Nov 2020 · on the Electron 16 Rideshare mission
Operational1 Mar 2023 · entered service
Retired1 Mar 2023 · end of operational service
Re-entered5 Apr 2023 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID46941
COSPAR2020-085N
TypeSatellite
OperatorSWARNZ
Country / StateNZ
ManufacturerSWARM
BusCubesat 0.25U
Mass0.284 kg
ProgrammeSwarm
CategoryCOM
OrbitLEO (LLEO/S)
Altitude492 × 518 km
Inclination97.4°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to SpaceBEE NZ-5?

SpaceBEE NZ-5 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 5 Apr 2023, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2020. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did SpaceBEE NZ-5 re-enter the atmosphere?

SpaceBEE NZ-5 re-entered on 5 Apr 2023, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built SpaceBEE NZ-5?

SpaceBEE NZ-5 was operated by SWARNZ and built by SWARM (NZ).

Launched together

SpaceBEE 22Re-entered 2022DRAGRACER 1Re-entered 2021DRAGRACER 2NORAD 46955SpaceBEE 26Re-entered 2022SpaceBEE NZ-2Re-entered 2023SpaceBEE 39Re-entered 2022SpaceBEE NZ-1Re-entered 2023SpaceBEE 23Re-entered 2022
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.