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| Feeling the Heat!
Air drag and, sometimes, gravitational effects cause satellites to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Occasionally, re-entry is caused by a deliberate decision of a satellite owner to fire a retro-rocket and bring some part of a space vehicle back to Earth.
The majority of re-entries result in the vehicle being destroyed by frictional heating as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere. Some fragments may get through and hit the Earth's surface - hence the system of TIP messages to warn of the event. Only a space vehicle fitted with a heat shield will get through the atmosphere for an actual landing.
Anticipated Re-entries
Information comes from Space-Track. Most entries are from the '60-day' decay prediction messages. If the re-entry date has already passed then you might find the object is also in the Recent Re-entries list further down the page.
Below are re-entries expected over the next days. The list includes only natural re-entries and it excludes planned events such as a Soyuz, Shenzhou or Dragon spacecraft returning from space station duties.
Table created: 2026 Sep 11, 06:03 UTC
| Cat No |
Designation |
Name (SpaceTrack) |
Predicted Date UTC |
Prediction Issued UTC |
| 61915 | 2024-207D | Starlink 32559 | 2026 Sep 10 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 60051 | 2024-112P | Starlink 31811 | 2026 Sep 10 | 2026 Sep 11 | | 47762 | 2021-017AS | Starlink 2180 | 2026 Sep 10 | 2026 Sep 11 | | 46786 | 2020-074AZ | Starlink 1893 | 2026 Sep 11 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 60803 | 2024-140GE | CZ-6A debris | 2026 Sep 11 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 64243 | 2025-119L | Starlink 11694 | 2026 Sep 11 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 69675 | 2026-144B | CZ 7A fourth stage | 2026 Sep 11 | 2026 Sep 10 | | 46383 | 2020-062BL | Starlink 1770 | 2026 Sep 12 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 47171 | 2020-088BB | Starlink 1888 | 2026 Sep 12 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 47596 | 2021-009BA | Starlink 2001 | 2026 Sep 12 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 53206 | 2022-084T | Starlink 4408 | 2026 Sep 12 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 63117 | 2025-039P | Starlink 32955 | 2026 Sep 12 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 53323 | 2022-089A | Cosmos 2558 | 2026 Sep 12 | 2026 Sep 10 | | 28222 | 2004-012C | Tansuo 1 r/b | 2026 Sep 13 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 45190 | 2020-012N | Starlink 1234 | 2026 Sep 13 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 53653 | 2022-105F | Starlink 4390 | 2026 Sep 13 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 47862 | 2021-021C | Starlink 2291 | 2026 Sep 13 | 2026 Sep 10 | | 53673 | 2022-105AB | Starlink 4456 | 2026 Sep 13 | 2026 Sep 10 | | 26410 | 2000-041A | Samba | 2026 Sep 14 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 41307 | 2000-055HK | NOAA 16 debris | 2026 Sep 14 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 52574 | 2022-051AQ | Starlink 3901 | 2026 Sep 14 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 46353 | 2020-062AE | Starlink 1656 | 2026 Sep 15 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 53492 | 2022-099AD | Starlink 4451 | 2026 Sep 15 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 46160 | 2020-057AV | Starlink 1598 | 2026 Sep 16 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 46375 | 2020-062BC | Starlink 1724 | 2026 Sep 16 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 47135 | 2020-088P | Starlink 1845 | 2026 Sep 16 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 52989 | 2022-076D | Starlink 4293 | 2026 Sep 16 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 53891 | 2022-119F | Starlink 5041 | 2026 Sep 16 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 34861 | 1993-036ACF | Cosmos 2251 debris | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 35622 | 1997-051QU | Iridium 33 debris | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 39474 | 2013-072N | SMDC-ONE 2.3 | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 44771 | 2019-074BL | Starlink | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 45414 | 2020-019BG | Starlink 1309 | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 53740 | 2022-107AS | Starlink 4607 | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 53790 | 2022-111T | Starlink 4734 | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 54947 | 2022-151SL | CZ 6A debris | 2026 Sep 17 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 16326 | 1985-113A | Cosmos 1707 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 39473 | 2013-072M | TacSat 6 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 40021 | 2014-033M | DUCHIFAT | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 40972 | 2015-058J | SNAP-3 Eddie | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 46794 | 2020-074BH | Starlink 1942 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 48427 | 2021-039E | CZ 2C second stage | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 48465 | 2021-040AP | Starlink 2681 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Aug 27 | | 51133 | 2022-005AF | Starlink 3356 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 52295 | 2022-041AL | Starlink 3765 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 53499 | 2022-099AL | Starlink 4454 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 54776 | 2022-175U | Starlink 5470 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 57412 | 2023-102J | Starlink 30182 | 2026 Sep 18 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 40970 | 2015-058G | SNAP-3 Alice | 2026 Sep 19 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 46705 | 2020-073AM | Starlink 1805 | 2026 Sep 19 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 47879 | 2021-021V | Starlink 2336 | 2026 Sep 19 | 2026 Sep 2 | | 53152 | 2022-083W | Starlink 4045 | 2026 Sep 19 | 2026 Sep 2 |
Recent TIP Messages
TIP messages are not a matter of routine and are not issued for all re-entries. They are more up to date and more precise than the Recent Re-entries list.
If you are unfamiliar with how to interpret TIP messages, you are recommended to read the Note at the bottom of the page.
Sometimes there may be a delay between the final TIP message and the re-entry being formally logged in Space-Track's Catalogue so a Message here may relate to a re-entry that has not yet entered the 'Recent' list.
Here is a list of TIP messages where the Window is less than about one quarter orbit. Even then it represents as much as ±9000 km of ground track. Where the window is ±1 minute, the re-entry signature was probably registered by a detector carried on a specialised 'space awareness' satellite.
Table created: 2026 Sep 11, 06:03 UTC
Cat No & Designation |
Name |
Terminal Date & Time UTC |
Lat, Long & Heading (10 km altitude) |
TIP Message Issued UTC |
61915 2024-207D | Starlink 32559 | 2026 Sep 6 21:07 ± 1 minute(s) | 13°.3 south, 156°.7 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 7 03:48 | 60051 2024-112P | Starlink 31811 | 2026 Sep 10 19:50 ± 1 minute(s) | 20°.5 south, 162°.3 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 11 01:50 | 58925 2024-024J | Weihai 02 | 2026 Sep 6 12:50 ± 2 minute(s) | 22°.4 south, 12°.6 west southbound, ± 0.02 orbits | 2026 Sep 6 17:41 | 53477 2022-099N | Starlink 4412 | 2026 Sep 6 10:52 ± 1 minute(s) | 30°.0 south, 122°.3 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 6 16:49 | 48029 2021-024BE | Starlink 2299 | 2026 Sep 6 17:50 ± 1 minute(s) | 41°.5 south, 130°.6 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 6 22:54 | 47818 2021-018AH | Starlink 2401 | 2026 Sep 7 19:25 ± 1 minute(s) | 19°.7 north, 37°.5 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 8 00:09 | 47762 2021-017AS | Starlink 2180 | 2026 Sep 10 21:41 ± 1 minute(s) | 33°.1 north, 144°.8 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 11 03:09 | 47752 2021-017AG | Starlink 2169 | 2026 Sep 9 01:56 ± 1 minute(s) | 31°.7 south, 149°.3 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 9 07:00 | 47745 2021-017Z | Starlink 2159 | 2026 Sep 5 03:43 ± 1 minute(s) | 34°.9 south, 146°.6 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 5 09:38 | 46685 2020-073R | Starlink 1781 | 2026 Sep 6 01:02 ± 1 minute(s) | 19°.6 north, 133°.2 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 6 05:33 | 46562 2020-070AG | Starlink 1714 | 2026 Sep 6 16:31 ± 1 minute(s) | 14°.8 north, 129°.8 west southbound, ± 0.01 orbits | 2026 Sep 6 22:26 |
Recent Re-entries
This table is extracted from Space-Track's Catalogue and lists re-entries that occurred in the last 30 days, whether natural or deliberate. Sometimes the date shown indicates when the object was noticed as 'missing from orbit', re-entry may actually have occurred at least one day earlier.
Table created: 2026 Sep 11, 06:03 UTC
| Cat No |
Designation |
Name |
Date UTC |
| 47752 | 2021-017AG | Starlink 2169 | 2026 Sep 9 | | 47818 | 2021-018AH | Starlink 2401 | 2026 Sep 7 | | 68319 | 2026-058A | Progress MS-33 | 2026 Sep 7 | | 46685 | 2020-073R | Starlink 1781 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 46562 | 2020-070AG | Starlink 1714 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 48029 | 2021-024BE | Starlink 2299 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 53477 | 2022-099N | Starlink 4412 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 58925 | 2024-024J | Weihai 02 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 61915 | 2024-207D | Starlink 32559 | 2026 Sep 6 | | 41142 | 2000-055BZ | NOAA 16 debris | 2026 Sep 6 | | 47745 | 2021-017Z | Starlink 2159 | 2026 Sep 5 | | 46159 | 2020-057AU | Starlink 1595 | 2026 Sep 4 | | 25520 | 1998-064B | PANSAT (PO-34) | 2026 Sep 4 |
Note on TIP Messages
Close to re-entry time for many objects, SpaceTrack issues TIP Messages with a more-precise warning of the event. The meaning of the TIP acronym is lost in the mists of time so Space-Track has re-invented it as 'Tracking and Impact Prediction'.
The message includes an estimated time, latitude and longitude for when the object will go through a height of 10 kilometres (definition - Space-Track) above the ground. It is a rough indication of the start point of the ellipse within which debris might fall given that horizontal velocity will have reduced to near-zero because of air resistance. In some cases, the location is imprecise in practical terms because the window included in the message covers a long track across the Earth's surface.
TIP Messages are often a source of confusion as people take the predicted time literally and ignore the error margin (Window). In 2011 RIA-Novosti used a TIP Message, issued several weeks in advance, to pinpoint a village in North Africa, doggedly insisting that it would feel the full force of of Phobos-Grunt’s re-entry. SpaceTrack's Window was ±2 days, representing over one million kilometres of ground track and a large proportion of the Earth's surface between 52° North and 52° South.
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