# EntrySat > French CubeSat developed to investigate the properties of orbital debris during atmospheric entry **Wikidata**: [Q65538005](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65538005) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/entrysat ## Summary EntrySat is a French 3U CubeSat developed to investigate the behavior and properties of orbital debris during atmospheric entry. It was built by Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE‑Supaero) under lead David Mimoun, launched to the ISS aboard Cygnus NG‑11 on 2019-04-17, and subsequently deployed from the International Space Station in July 2019 before reentering the atmosphere in 2020. ## Key Facts - EntrySat is a French CubeSat mission focused on studying the properties of orbital debris during atmospheric entry. - Instance types: CubeSat, science project, and amateur radio satellite. - Dimensions: 10 cm × 10 cm × 30 cm (3U CubeSat form factor). - Launch date: 2019-04-17 (launched aboard Cygnus NG‑11 / Antares). - Launch start point: Mid‑Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0. - Vessel/ride to ISS: Cygnus NG‑11; launch vehicle: Antares; launch contractor: Orbital Sciences Corporation. - Orbit insertion / deployment to ISS: recorded at the International Space Station on 2019-07-03 (deployed as part of ISS NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Mission 16). - Atmospheric entry (end of mission): occurred in 2020. - Manufacturer: Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE‑Supaero); creator: David Mimoun. - COSPAR ID: 1998-067QP; SCN (spacecraft number): 44429. - Amateur radio callsign: ON02FR. - Aliases: FR02. - Online presence: website https://janus.cnes.fr/fr/JANUS/Fr/entrysat.htm, Twitter handle "EntrySat", and Facebook "Entrysat". - Part of: ISS NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Mission 16. - Operator identifier: Q64911385. - Commons category and image: Commons category "EntrySat"; image available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Iss060e001618_NanoRack_CubeSat_Deployer.jpg. ## FAQs ### Q: What was EntrySat's primary mission? A: EntrySat was designed to investigate the physical behavior and properties of orbital debris during atmospheric entry. Its experiments focused on how small debris objects respond when reentering Earth's atmosphere. ### Q: When and how was EntrySat launched? A: EntrySat was launched on 2019-04-17 aboard the Cygnus NG‑11 spacecraft using an Antares launch vehicle from the Mid‑Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0. It rode to the International Space Station and was later deployed into orbit from the ISS. ### Q: Who built and operated EntrySat? A: EntrySat was manufactured by Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE‑Supaero) and created by David Mimoun. The operator is listed under identifier Q64911385. ### Q: What happened to EntrySat after deployment? A: EntrySat was deployed from the International Space Station in July 2019 (orbit insertion noted 2019-07-03) and underwent atmospheric entry in 2020, marking the end of its on-orbit operations. ### Q: Did EntrySat carry amateur radio capabilities? A: Yes. EntrySat is classified as an amateur radio satellite and used the callsign ON02FR. ## Why It Matters EntrySat addresses a practical and growing problem: understanding how orbital debris behaves during atmospheric reentry. Small satellites and fragments reenter frequently, and detailed experimental data on breakup, ablation, and material response at reentry conditions are limited. By flying a controlled small satellite designed to study those processes, EntrySat provided empirical measurements that can inform debris risk assessments, reentry modeling, and design guidelines for deorbiting or passivation of spacecraft. The mission also demonstrated the use of standard CubeSat form factors to carry focused atmospheric‑entry science. Operating as both a science project and an amateur radio satellite, EntrySat combined professional research objectives with outreach and community engagement. Its deployment from the ISS as part of the NanoRacks mission sequence illustrates an efficient pathway for launching and deploying small research satellites. Data and lessons from EntrySat contribute to safer end-of-life planning for spacecraft and help refine models used by agencies and operators to predict reentry behavior and ground‑risk footprints. ## Notable For - A dedicated French CubeSat mission explicitly developed to study orbital debris behavior during atmospheric entry. - Built by ISAE‑Supaero under creator David Mimoun and operated as a science and amateur radio project. - Transported to the ISS on Cygnus NG‑11 (Antares launch) on 2019-04-17 and deployed from the ISS in July 2019 as part of NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Mission 16. - Carried the amateur radio callsign ON02FR and maintained public outreach channels (website, Twitter, Facebook). - Tracked with COSPAR ID 1998-067QP and SCN 44429; underwent atmospheric entry in 2020. ## Body ### Overview - EntrySat is described as a French CubeSat developed to investigate the properties of orbital debris during atmospheric entry. - It is categorized as a CubeSat, a science project, and an amateur radio satellite. ### Design and specifications - Form factor: 3U CubeSat configuration. - Physical dimensions: 10 cm (width) × 10 cm (height) × 30 cm (length). - Amateur radio callsign: ON02FR. - Alias: FR02. - SCN (spacecraft number): 44429. - COSPAR ID: 1998-067QP. - Manufacturer: Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE‑Supaero). - Creator: David Mimoun. ### Mission objectives - Primary objective: study and characterize the behavior of orbital debris during atmospheric entry. - Secondary function: operate as an amateur radio satellite (callsign ON02FR) enabling community engagement. ### Launch and deployment - Launch vehicle: Antares. - Launched aboard the Cygnus NG‑11 spacecraft. - Launch date and event: 2019-04-17, launch from Mid‑Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0. - Launch contractor: Orbital Sciences Corporation. - The spacecraft was carried to the International Space Station on Cygnus NG‑11. - Orbit insertion / deployment at the International Space Station is recorded on 2019-07-03. - Deployment: part of ISS NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Mission 16. ### Operations and end of mission - EntrySat conducted on-orbit operations as a small science and amateur radio satellite after deployment from the ISS. - Atmospheric entry (end of mission) occurred in 2020. ### Ground support and outreach - Website: https://janus.cnes.fr/fr/JANUS/Fr/entrysat.htm. - Social media: Twitter handle "EntrySat" (active from at least 2017) and Facebook "Entrysat". - Commons media: image available at the provided Wikimedia Commons file path; Commons category "EntrySat". ### Administrative and catalog identifiers - SCN: 44429. - COSPAR ID: 1998-067QP. - Operator listed as identifier Q64911385. - Part of: ISS NanoRacks CubeSat Deployment Mission 16. ### References and source material - Primary structured data supplied for this entry includes launch and mission dates, manufacturer, creator, classification, and identifiers as listed above. ## References 1. [Source](https://presse.cnes.fr/fr/lancement-prochain-dentrysat-premier-cubesat-dedie-letude-du-retour-dans-latmosphere-des-debris) 2. [Source](https://websites.isae-supaero.fr/entrysat/) 3. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2019-022A) 4. [Source](https://www.issnationallab.org/press-releases/northrop-grumman-crs-11-payload-overview/) 5. Jonathan's Space Report 6. [Source](https://www.americaspace.com/2019/04/17/tenth-antares-booster-ferries-ng-11-cygnus-on-late-afternoon-flight-to-space-station/) 7. [Source](https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grummans-cygnus-spacecraft-successfully-completes-rendezvous-and-berthing-with-international-space-station-6754331) 8. [Source](https://www.isae-supaero.fr/fr/actualites/deploiement-depuis-l-iss-reussi-pour-entrysat-le-1er-cubesat-3u-francais/) 9. [Source](https://janus.cnes.fr/fr/mise-en-orbite-dentrysat-le-3-juillet) 10. [Source](https://blogs.nasa.gov/stationreport/2019/07/03/iss-daily-summary-report-7032019/)