Over the nearly 70 years of spaceflight, about 10 000 intact satellites and rocket bodies have reentered the atmosphere with many more to follow. Yet for such a ubiquitous event, we still lack a clear view on what actually happens to a satellite during its fiery last moments.

ESA is preparing the Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (Draco) mission that will collect unique measurements during an actual reentry and breakup of a satellite from the inside.

Just hours after its launch, planned in 2027, a capsule especially designed to survive the satellite’s destruction will transmit the collected telemetry shortly after.

As part of ESA’s Zero Debris approach, new ESA missions will be designed for safe operations and disposal to stop the creation of new debris by 2030. New satellites should be ‘designed for demise’: built to disintegrate safely, cleanly and completely when its mission ends.

At the same time, we also need to better understand the effect of satellite reentries on the atmosphere. Yet even with testing on the ground, crucial input based on real-life data of how the break-up process works is missing – for now.

The data from ESA’s Draco mission will improve reentry modelling and design-for-demise technologies, maintaining European leadership in sustainable spaceflight.