Re-Entry: Ariane 4 Rocket Stage

Patrick Blau 4493 Views
Photo: ESA (File)
Photo: ESA (File)

The Cryogenic Upper Stage from an Ariane 44L launch in the 1990s re-entered the atmosphere in September 2010 after slowly spiraling down from a highly elliptical Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The Ariane 4 lifted off from French Guiana back in October 1990 and carried into orbit the Galaxy 6 and SBS 6 commercial communications satellites.

NORAD ID: 20874
Origin: Europe/FR
Object: Ariane 44L Rocket Body
Type: H10 Upper Stage
Inclination: 7.5°
Launched: October 12, 1990 – 22:58 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L
Launch Site: Guiana Space Center, French Guiana

Re-Entry Prediction: September 20, 2016 – 10:30UTC +/-1 Min.
Re-Entry Zone: Indian Ocean

Re-Entry Zone
Image: Spaceflight101/Orbitron
Image: Spaceflight101/Orbitron
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