EagleEye satellite expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere

The EagleEye satellite, a significant project for the Polish space sector, is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up on September 23. The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) reports that the 55-kilogram object is currently on a very low Earth orbit (VLEO), where atmospheric drag is causing its trajectory to decay.

While the satellite is expected to pass over various European Union countries, current analyses indicate it will not pass directly over Polish territory during its final descent. The exact timing of re-entry is subject to a margin of error of approximately 11 hours, influenced by factors such as solar activity and the satellite's ballistic coefficient.

EagleEye was launched on August 16, 2024, via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-11 mission. Developed by a consortium led by Creotech Instruments S.A., in collaboration with the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Scanway, the satellite was designed for high-resolution Earth observation. It was notable for being the largest Polish satellite at the time of its launch, capable of providing approximately one-meter resolution in visible and near-infrared bands.