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ESO

Re-entered 16 Nov 1977

ESO (NORAD 9916, COSPAR 1976-124G) was a SU satellite that re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 16 Nov 1977, launched on 17 Dec 1976 on the Romb 2 mission. It was operated by PVO as part of the ESO programme. The spacecraft was built by YUZH on the ESO bus, with a mass of 5 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.

1976
launched
1977
re-entered
1
year on orbit
5
kg mass

Lifecycle

Launched17 Dec 1976 · on the Romb 2 mission
Operational11 Apr 1977 · entered service
Retired11 Apr 1977 · end of operational service
Re-entered16 Nov 1977 · atmospheric re-entry — object destroyed

Specifications

NORAD ID9916
COSPAR1976-124G
TypeSatellite
OperatorPVO
Country / StateSU
ManufacturerYUZH
BusESO
Mass5 kg
ProgrammeESO
CategoryCAL
OrbitLEO (LLEO/I)
Altitude451 × 515 km
Inclination65.8°

Frequently asked questions

What happened to ESO?

ESO re-entered Earth's atmosphere on 16 Nov 1977, ending a mission that began with its launch in 1976. Objects in low orbits are gradually slowed by atmospheric drag until they fall back and burn up on re-entry.

When did ESO re-enter the atmosphere?

ESO re-entered on 16 Nov 1977, according to Orbital Radar's historical catalogue records.

Who operated and built ESO?

ESO was operated by PVO and built by YUZH (SU).

Launched together

Taifun-2B (02)Re-entered 1979ESORe-entered 1977ESORe-entered 1977ESORe-entered 1977ESORe-entered 1977ESORe-entered 1977ESORe-entered 1977ESORe-entered 1977
Historical record from the Orbital Radar satellite archive. Sources & methodology: data sources. Accessed 2026-09-06.