Re-Entry: Soyuz U Rocket Stage from recent Progress Launch

October 4, 2015 Patrick Blau 2841 Views Re-Entry October 2015

Block I mated with the M-29M Spacecraft & Shroud, Credit: RSC Energia

The third Stage of the Soyuz U rocket that launched the Progress M-29M spacecraft on its path to the International Space Station re-entered the atmosphere on Saturday over the Pacific Ocean. Finishing its role in the successful launch of Progress M-29M, the Block I stage completed an avoidance and passivation maneuver, arriving in an orbit of 184 by 224 Kilometers, inclined 51.6°. This orbit is very short-lived and coupled with the rocket body’s low mass and large surface area, it makes for a quick orbital decay, typically within two days of launch.

NORAD ID: 40945
Origin: Russia/CIS
Object: SL-4 Rocket Body
Type: Block I, Soyuz U 3rd Stage
Mass: 2,355kg
Inclination: 51.6°
Launched: October 1, 2015 – 16:49 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz U
Launch Site: 1/5 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Re-Entry Prediction: October 3, 2015 – 16:35 UTC +/-7 Min.

Re-Entry Zone: Pacific Ocean

Re-Entry Zone