NORAD 27386
Envisat
About this satellite
Envisat was the European Space Agency's largest Earth-observation satellite, launched on an Ariane 5 in March 2002. ESA lost contact with it on 8 April 2012; it remains in orbit as one of the largest pieces of space debris.
- Operator
- European Space Agency (ESA)
- Owner
- European Space Agency
- Purpose
- Earth observation (atmosphere, oceans, land and ice); mission ended 2012
- Launched
- 1 March 2002
- Launch vehicle
- Ariane 5G
- Status
- Not operational
- International designator
- 2002-009A
- Altitude
- 761 km to 763 km (perigee to apogee)
- Orbital period
- 100.1 minutes (14.4 orbits a day)
- Inclination
- 98.4°
- Mass
- 8,211 kg
- Size
- 26 × 10 × 5 m
Orbit and catalogue data: CelesTrak SATCAT, updated 2026-10-18.