Re-Entry Over Western USA

From: Bob Christy via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_lists.seesatmail.org>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2024 12:21:51 +0100
Lots of reports are appearing on social media of a re-entry being observed at around 08:45 UTC (01:45 PST) today. Most are from people who assumed it was connected to an expected SpaceX launch from Vandenberg that actually occurred about 45 minutes later.

It was actually the discarded Orbital Module from Shenzhou 15 that carried a crew to the Chinese Space Station in 2022:
https://OrbitalFocus.uk/2022#162.

Space-Track has it catalogued as a payload but this hasn't been the case since Shenzhou 8 when bespoke production of the vehicle (including the OM as a functioning satellite) switched to serial production of standardised ferry vehicles to support the space station.

Robert Christy

Robert Christy

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Received on Tue Apr 02 2024 - 04:22:19 UTC

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