The Finnish Sunstorm satellite ends its mission

The Sunstorm satellite, operated by the Finnish space company Kuva Space Oy, has completed its mission and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s analysis, the satellite deorbited around noon Finnish local time on Wednesday, September 4th, 2024. The exact location of the re-entry remains unknown at this time. In its final phase, the satellite’s orbit decayed rapidly due to its large folding solar panel wings and the Sun’s above-average intensity in the F10.7 cm radio band. This increased solar activity expanded the atmosphere, causing greater drag on the satellite and accelerating its deorbit.

UPDATE (5.9.): According to FMI further analysis, the satellite de-orbited about 10:30:46 on Wednesday 4.9.

Text: Leo Nyman, FMI