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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

SpaceBEE E26-21

Re-entered 30 Dec 2023

SpaceBEE E26-21 (NORAD 52404, COSPAR 2022-047L) was a NZ satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 30 Dec 2023, launched on 2 May 2022 on the E-Space Demo mission. It was operated by SWARNZ as part of the Swarm programme. The spacecraft was built by SWARMX 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.

2022
launched
2023
re-entered
1
year on orbit
0.284
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched2 May 2022 · on the E-Space Demo mission
Operational1 Dec 2023 · entered service
Retired1 Dec 2023 · end of operational service
Re-entered30 Dec 2023 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID52404
COSPAR2022-047L
TypeSatellite
OperatorSWARNZ
Country / StateNZ
ManufacturerSWARMX
BusCubesat 0.25U
Mass0.284 kg
ProgrammeSwarm
CategoryCOM
OrbitLEO (LLEO/S)
Altitude522 × 532 km
Inclination97.5°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to SpaceBEE E26-21?

SpaceBEE E26-21 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 30 Dec 2023, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2022. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did SpaceBEE E26-21 re-enter the atmosphere?

SpaceBEE E26-21 re-entered on 30 Dec 2023, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built SpaceBEE E26-21?

SpaceBEE E26-21 was operated by SWARNZ and built by SWARMX (NZ).

Launched together

SpaceBEE E26-4Re-entered 2024TRSI-3Re-entered 2024MyRadar 1Re-entered 2024TRSI-2Re-entered 2024Unicorn-2Re-entered 2023BRO-6NORAD 52422E-Space 1Re-entered 2024E-Space 2Re-entered 2024
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.