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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

ALE Drag sail

Re-entered 3 Aug 2022

ALE Drag sail (NORAD 53314, COSPAR 2019-003K) was a J satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 3 Aug 2022, launched on 18 Jan 2019 on the RAPIS mission. It was operated by ALE as part of the ALE programme. The spacecraft was built by ALE on the ALE 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
2022
re-entered
3
years on orbit
1
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched18 Jan 2019 · on the RAPIS mission
Operational26 Jul 2022 · entered service
Retired26 Jul 2022 · end of operational service
Re-entered3 Aug 2022 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID53314
COSPAR2019-003K
TypeSatellite
OperatorALE
Country / StateJ
ManufacturerALE
BusALE
Mass1 kg
ProgrammeALE
CategoryTECH
OrbitLEO (LLEO/S)
Altitude390 × 404 km
Inclination97.1°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ALE Drag sail?

ALE Drag sail re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 3 Aug 2022, 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 ALE Drag sail re-enter the atmosphere?

ALE Drag sail re-entered on 3 Aug 2022, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built ALE Drag sail?

ALE Drag sail was operated by ALE and built by ALE (J).

Launched together

RAPIS-1Re-entered 2024OrigamiSat-1Re-entered 2022Hodoyoshi-2Re-entered 2023MicroDragonRe-entered 2024NexusRe-entered 2023ALE-1Re-entered 2023Aoba-VELOX IVRe-entered 2023
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.