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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

Lonestar 1

Re-entered 28 Dec 2023

Lonestar 1 (NORAD 52951, COSPAR 2022-074H) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 28 Dec 2023, launched on 2 Jul 2022 on the Straight Up mission. It was operated by SMDC as part of the Gunsmoke programme. The spacecraft was built by DYNT/RAYBL on the Cubesat 6U bus, with a mass of 10 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
10
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched2 Jul 2022 · on the Straight Up mission
Operational1 Dec 2023 · entered service
Retired1 Dec 2023 · end of operational service
Re-entered28 Dec 2023 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID52951
COSPAR2022-074H
TypeSatellite
OperatorSMDC
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerDYNT/RAYBL
BusCubesat 6U
Mass10 kg
ProgrammeGunsmoke
CategoryCOM
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude493 × 499 km
Inclination45.0°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to Lonestar 1?

Lonestar 1 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 28 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 Lonestar 1 re-enter the atmosphere?

Lonestar 1 re-entered on 28 Dec 2023, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built Lonestar 1?

Lonestar 1 was operated by SMDC and built by DYNT/RAYBL (US).

Launched together

RecurveRe-entered 2024NACHOS-2Re-entered 2024Slingshot 1Re-entered 2024GPX-2Re-entered 2024MISR-B-1Re-entered 2023CTIM-FDRe-entered 2023
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.