This is a list of artificial objects reentering Earth's atmosphere by mass (see space debris). Such objects are often completely destroyed by reentry heating, but large enough objects or components can survive. Most of the objects which reenter are relatively small; larger objects have survived but usually break up into smaller pieces during reentry.[1][2][3]
An external tank floats away from the Space Shuttle orbiter. 134 of these tanks were brought into orbit and then released for re-entry (135 total orbital missions minus Challenger)
The External Tank for STS-1 is released from the Space Shuttle. This was a Standard Weight tank and was painted white
Debris from Salyut 7, which landed in Argentina in 1991
The list includes group entries for the 134 Space Shuttle external tanks used between 1981 and 2011. During Space Shuttle launches, the tanks reached space without reaching orbit and re-entered the atmosphere, breaking apart before impacting the ocean. The mass of those tanks varied throughout the years, as improvements made them lighter - successive modifications reduced their empty weight from approximately 77,000 pounds (35,000 kg) to approximately 58,500 lb (26,500 kg) for the Super Lightweight Tank used after 1998.[4] The tanks were also not necessarily completely empty when discarded.[5]
Many other launch systems have discarded spent stages into space, but not all stages go into orbit or even reach space (by passing the Kármán line). For example, the Space Shuttle side boosters did not reach space, as the highest altitude reached during their flight was only about 220,000 feet (67 km).
Examples of heaviest re-entering spacecraft or components
^. Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies. Archived from the original on 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
^Orbiting Debris: A Space Environmental Problem-Background Paper(PDF) (OTA-BP-ISC-72 ed.). U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. October 1990.
^ abcLarsen, Francis Lyall, Paul B. (2009). Space law : a treatise ([Online-Ausg.]. ed.). Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate. pp. 114–121. ISBN978-0-7546-4390-6.
^ abFor composite objects such as space stations, age and launch date are based on the first launched module.
^McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
^Clinch, Matt (2021-05-09). "China says its rocket debris landed in the Indian Ocean". CNBC. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
^Jones, Andrew (2022-07-30). "Long March 5B rocket stage makes fiery uncontrolled reentry over Indian Ocean". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
^Jones, Andrew (2022-11-04). "Long March 5B rocket reenters over Pacific Ocean after forcing airspace closures in Europe". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
^Amos, Jonathan (15 January 2012). "Phobos-Grunt: Failed probe 'falls over Pacific'". BBC.
^ ab. Space Security Index. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
^ abMcDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
^18 Space Control Squadron. "18 SPCS on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2 April 2018. UPDATE: #JFSCC confirmed #Tiangong1 reentered the atmosphere over the southern Pacific Ocean at ~5:16 p.m. (PST) April 1. For details see www.space-track.org @US_Stratcom @usairforce @AFSpaceCC @30thSpaceWing @PeteAFB @SpaceTrackOrg
^Mullins, Justin; Marks, Paul (20 September 2011). "Hardy 6-tonne satellite falls to Earth". New Scientist. Retrieved 25 September 2014. "This is the largest NASA satellite to come back uncontrolled for quite a while," says Nick Johnson, chief scientist for NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
^Paul Marks (23 September 2011). "Second big satellite set to resist re-entry burn-up". New Scientist. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
March 12, 2023
list, reentering, space, debris, this, list, artificial, objects, reentering, earth, atmosphere, mass, space, debris, such, objects, often, completely, destroyed, reentry, heating, large, enough, objects, components, survive, most, objects, which, reenter, rel. This is a list of artificial objects reentering Earth s atmosphere by mass see space debris Such objects are often completely destroyed by reentry heating but large enough objects or components can survive Most of the objects which reenter are relatively small larger objects have survived but usually break up into smaller pieces during reentry 1 2 3 An external tank floats away from the Space Shuttle orbiter 134 of these tanks were brought into orbit and then released for re entry 135 total orbital missions minus Challenger The External Tank for STS 1 is released from the Space Shuttle This was a Standard Weight tank and was painted white Debris from Salyut 7 which landed in Argentina in 1991 The list includes group entries for the 134 Space Shuttle external tanks used between 1981 and 2011 During Space Shuttle launches the tanks reached space without reaching orbit and re entered the atmosphere breaking apart before impacting the ocean The mass of those tanks varied throughout the years as improvements made them lighter successive modifications reduced their empty weight from approximately 77 000 pounds 35 000 kg to approximately 58 500 lb 26 500 kg for the Super Lightweight Tank used after 1998 4 The tanks were also not necessarily completely empty when discarded 5 Many other launch systems have discarded spent stages into space but not all stages go into orbit or even reach space by passing the Karman line For example the Space Shuttle side boosters did not reach space as the highest altitude reached during their flight was only about 220 000 feet 67 km Examples of heaviest re entering spacecraft or components EditObject Owner Mass Reentry Date Age 6 Reentry type Launch Date 6 7 Mir Russia 120 000 kg 260 000 lb 23 March 2001 15 years Controlled 20 February 1986Skylab 3 USA 69 000 kg 152 000 lb 11 July 1979 6 years Partially Controlled 14 May 1973Salyut 7 Cosmos 1686 USSR 40 000 kg 88 000 lb 7 February 1991 8 years Uncontrolled 13 May 1982S II Stage Skylab USA 36 200 kg 79 700 lb 11 January 1975 18 Months Uncontrolled 14 May 1973STS external tank Standard Tank USA 35 000 kg 77 000 lb and remaining propellants 1981 1981 83 Partially ControlledSalyut 6 Cosmos 1267 USSR 35 000 kg 77 000 lb 29 July 1982 4 years Controlled 29 September 1977STS external tank Lightweight Tank USA 30 000 kg 66 000 lb and remaining propellants 1983 1983 98 Partially Controlled 1981 2011Long March 5B core 5B Y1 flight China 21 600 kg 47 600 lb 11 May 2020 6 days Uncontrolled 5 May 2020Long March 5B core 5B Y2 flight China 21 600 kg 47 600 lb 9 May 2021 8 9 days Uncontrolled 29 April 2021Long March 5B core 5B Y3 flight China 21 600 kg 47 600 lb 30 July 2022 9 6 days Uncontrolled 24 July 2022Long March 5B core 5B Y4 flight China 21 600 kg 47 600 lb 4 November 2022 10 4 days Uncontrolled 31 October 2022Cosmos 557 USSR 19 400 kg 42 800 lb 22 May 1973 11 days Uncontrolled 11 May 1973Salyut 5 USSR 19 000 kg 42 000 lb 8 August 1977 1 year 2 months Controlled 2 June 1976Salyut 1 USSR 18 900 kg 41 700 lb 11 October 1971 5 months 22 days Controlled 19 April 1971Salyut 3 USSR 18 900 kg 41 700 lb 24 January 1975 6 months 30 days Controlled 25 June 1974Salyut 4 USSR 18 900 kg 41 700 lb 2 February 1977 2 years 1 month Controlled 26 December 1974Apollo SA 5 Nose Cone USA 17 100 kg 37 700 lb 30 April 1966 2 years 3 months Uncontrolled 29 January 1964Apollo SA 6 CSM BP 13 USA 16 900 kg 37 300 lb 1 June 1964 4 days Uncontrolled 28 May 1964Apollo SA 7 CSM BP 15 USA 16 650 kg 36 710 lb 22 September 1964 4 days Uncontrolled 18 September 1964Cosmos 929 USSR 15 000 kg 33 000 lb 2 February 1978 6 months 16 days Controlled 17 July 1977Cosmos 1443 USSR 15 000 kg 33 000 lb 19 September 1983 6 months 17 days Controlled 2 March 1983CGRO 3 USA 14 910 kg 32 870 lb 4 June 2000 9 years Controlled 5 April 1991Phobos Grunt 11 Russia 13 500 kg 29 800 lb 15 January 2012 2 months 6 days Uncontrolled 9 November 2011Pegasus 1 USA 10 297 kg 22 701 lb 12 17 September 1978 13 13 years Uncontrolled 16 February 1965Pegasus 2 USA 9 058 kg 19 969 lb 12 3 November 1979 13 14 years Uncontrolled 25 May 1965Tiangong 1 China 8 506 kg 18 753 lb 2 April 2018 14 6 years Uncontrolled 29 Sep 2011UARS 15 NASA 5 900 kg 13 000 lb 24 September 2011 20 years Uncontrolled 12 September 1991ROSAT 16 DLR 2 400 kg 5 300 lb 23 October 2011 21 years Uncontrolled 1 June 1990See also EditCenter for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies Space Shuttle external tank List of heaviest spacecraft List of space debris producing eventsReferences Edit Largest Objects to Reenter Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies Archived from the original on 2012 02 01 Retrieved 2012 01 22 Orbiting Debris A Space Environmental Problem Background Paper PDF OTA BP ISC 72 ed U S Congress Office of Technology Assessment October 1990 a b c Larsen Francis Lyall Paul B 2009 Space law a treatise Online Ausg ed Farnham Surrey England Ashgate pp 114 121 ISBN 978 0 7546 4390 6 SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM HISTORY Spaceline NASA The External Tank a b For composite objects such as space stations age and launch date are based on the first launched module McDowell Jonathan Launch Log Jonathan s Space Page Retrieved 20 December 2010 Clinch Matt 2021 05 09 China says its rocket debris landed in the Indian Ocean CNBC Retrieved 2021 05 09 Jones Andrew 2022 07 30 Long March 5B rocket stage makes fiery uncontrolled reentry over Indian Ocean SpaceNews Retrieved 2022 12 12 Jones Andrew 2022 11 04 Long March 5B rocket reenters over Pacific Ocean after forcing airspace closures in Europe SpaceNews Retrieved 2022 12 12 Amos Jonathan 15 January 2012 Phobos Grunt Failed probe falls over Pacific BBC a b World Civil Satellites 1957 2006 Space Security Index Archived from the original on 18 July 2011 Retrieved 20 December 2010 a b McDowell Jonathan Satellite Catalog Jonathan s Space Page Retrieved 20 December 2010 18 Space Control Squadron 18 SPCS on Twitter Twitter Retrieved 2 April 2018 UPDATE JFSCC confirmed Tiangong1 reentered the atmosphere over the southern Pacific Ocean at 5 16 p m PST April 1 For details see www space track org US Stratcom usairforce AFSpaceCC 30thSpaceWing PeteAFB SpaceTrackOrg Mullins Justin Marks Paul 20 September 2011 Hardy 6 tonne satellite falls to Earth New Scientist Retrieved 25 September 2014 This is the largest NASA satellite to come back uncontrolled for quite a while says Nick Johnson chief scientist for NASA s Orbital Debris Program Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas Paul Marks 23 September 2011 Second big satellite set to resist re entry burn up New Scientist Retrieved 25 September 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of reentering space debris amp oldid 1127099479, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
