S.S. William C. McCool

Re-entered 18 Sep 2025

S.S. William C. McCool (NORAD 65616, COSPAR 2025-208A) was a US satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 18 Sep 2025, launched on 14 Sep 2025 on the Cygnus NG-23 mission. It is catalogued as Cygnus NG-23. It was operated by NG as part of the Cygnus programme. The spacecraft was built by NGISD on the sPCM bus, with a mass of 3,290 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

2025

re-entered

years on orbit

3,290

kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched14 Sep 2025 · on the Cygnus NG-23 mission

Operational14 Mar 2026 · entered service

Retired14 Mar 2026 · end of operational service

Re-entered18 Sep 2025 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID65616

COSPAR2025-208A

TypeSatellite

OperatorNG

Country / StateUS

ManufacturerNGISD

BussPCM

Mass3,290 kg

ProgrammeCygnus

CategorySS

OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)

Altitude242 × 245 km

Inclination51.6°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to S.S. William C. McCool?

S.S. William C. McCool re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 18 Sep 2025, 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 S.S. William C. McCool re-enter the atmosphere?

S.S. William C. McCool re-entered on 18 Sep 2025, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built S.S. William C. McCool?

S.S. William C. McCool was operated by NG and built by NGISD (US).

Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-16.

Browse the live satellite directory → Re-entered satellites archive → Launch record: Cygnus NG-23 → What is space debris? →