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W-4

Re-entered 4 Jun 2026

W-4 (NORAD 64543, COSPAR 2025-135R) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 4 Jun 2026, launched on 23 Jun 2025 on the Transporter-14 mission. It is catalogued as W-Series 4. It was operated by Varda Space as part of the Varda programme. The spacecraft was built by VARDA on the VW bus, with a mass of 250 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.

2025
launched
2026
re-entered
1
year on orbit
250
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched23 Jun 2025 · on the Transporter-14 mission
Operational10 May 2026 · entered service
Retired10 May 2026 · end of operational service
Re-entered4 Jun 2026 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID64543
COSPAR2025-135R
TypeSatellite
OperatorVarda Space
Country / StateUS
ManufacturerVARDA
BusVW
Mass250 kg (55 kg dry)
ProgrammeVarda
CategoryMGRAV
OrbitLEO (LLEO/S)
Altitude508 × 512 km
Inclination97.5°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to W-4?

W-4 re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 4 Jun 2026, ending a mission that began with its launch in 2025. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did W-4 re-enter the atmosphere?

W-4 re-entered on 4 Jun 2026, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built W-4?

W-4 was operated by Varda Space and built by VARDA (US).

Launched together

Emergency Comms SatNORAD 64528Hyperfield-1BNORAD 64552Connecta IOT-12NORAD 64553HORIS-2NORAD NaNConnecta IOT-10NORAD 64555MOBIUS-1NORAD NaNConnecta IOT-11NORAD 64557Quick3NORAD 64558
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-16.