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🛰️ SATELLITE · HISTORICAL RECORD

OAR-901

Re-entered 31 Jan 1972

OAR-901 (NORAD 5382, COSPAR 1971-067C) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 31 Jan 1972, launched on 7 Aug 1971 on the OAR-901 mission. It was operated by STP / AFCRL as part of the OV1 A programme. The spacecraft was built by AFCRL on the LOADS bus, with a mass of 364 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.

1971
launched
1972
re-entered
1
year on orbit
364
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched7 Aug 1971 · on the OAR-901 mission
Operational31 Jan 1972 · entered service
Retired31 Jan 1972 · end of operational service
Re-entered31 Jan 1972 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID5382
COSPAR1971-067C
TypeSatellite
OperatorSTP / AFCRL
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerAFCRL
BusLOADS
Mass364 kg
ProgrammeOV1 A
CategorySCI
OrbitLEO (LEO/P)
Altitude127 × 1,762 km
Inclination92.0°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to OAR-901?

OAR-901 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 31 Jan 1972, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1971. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did OAR-901 re-enter the atmosphere?

OAR-901 re-entered on 31 Jan 1972, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built OAR-901?

OAR-901 was operated by STP / AFCRL and built by AFCRL (US).

Launched together

OV1-20P/FW4SRe-entered 1971OV1-21P/FW4SNORAD 5397OAR-907Re-entered 1971LCS 4NORAD 5398AVL-802Re-entered 1972AVL-802Re-entered 1979AVL-802Re-entered 1979AVL-802 Rigid SphereRe-entered 1981
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.