page_title: ROSAT
section_title: Re-entry
hierarchical_section_title: ROSAT / Re-entry
caption_attribution_description: English: ROSAT satellite captured in its last orbits before reentryDeutsch: ROSAT, aufgenommen bei der letzten Erdumrundung kurz vor Wiedereintritt in die Atmosphäre
context_page_description: ROSAT was a German Aerospace Center-led satellite X-ray telescope, with instruments built by West Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was launched on 1 June 1990, on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, on what was initially designed as an 18-month mission, with provision for up to five years of operation. ROSAT actually operated for over eight years, finally shutting down on 12 February 1999.
  In February 2011, it was reported that the 2,400 kg satellite was unlikely to burn up entirely while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere due to the large amount of ceramics and glass used in construction. Parts as heavy as 400 kg could impact the surface intact. ROSAT eventually re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on 23 October 2011 over Bay of Bengal.
context_section_description: In 1990, the satellite was put in an orbit at an altitude of 580 km (360 mi) and inclination of 53°. Due to atmospheric drag, the satellite slowly lost height until, in September 2011, the satellite was orbiting approximately 270 km (168 mi) above the Earth. On 23 October 2011 ROSAT re-entered the Earth's atmosphere sometime between 1:45 UTC and 2:15 UTC over the Bay of Bengal, east of India. There was no confirmation if pieces of debris had reached the Earth's surface.
caption: ROSAT: one of the last images of ROSAT before reentry
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