Re-Entry: Block-ML Upper Stage

Patrick Blau 2683 Views
Photo: Roscosmos
Photo: Roscosmos

A spent rocket body from a 1997 Molniya launch re-entered the atmosphere on September 30, 2016 after nearly two decades in orbit.

The Molniya rocket lifted the Molniya-1T communications satellite into  an elliptical orbit to deliver services to the Russian Federation including the northern territories.

NORAD ID: 24963
Origin: Russia/CIS
Object: SL-6 Rocket Body
Type: Block-ML Upper Stage
Mass: 1,150kg
Launched: September 24, 1997 – 21:30 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M
Launch Site: Plesetsk, Russia

Re-Entry Prediction: September 30, 2016 – 11:17 UTC +/-26 Min.

Re-Entry Zone: Unknown

 

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