deorbited

Deorbited is a term used in spaceflight to describe a spacecraft that has undertaken a deorbit maneuver and is on a trajectory that leads to reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Deorbiting refers to the process of reducing a vehicle’s orbital energy with the aim of reentering or disposing of it at the end of its mission. The word is commonly applied to satellites, spacecraft, or spent stages that are being maneuvered to leave orbit in a controlled way.

Most deorbiting is achieved with a propulsive deorbit burn: a retrograde thrust maneuver that lowers the orbital perigee into the atmosphere. For low Earth orbit objects, atmospheric drag can also cause gradual decay, but a controlled deorbit burn is typically planned to ensure a predictable reentry path and to minimize debris risk. Deorbiting can be controlled or, in some cases, semi-automatic or uncontrolled if a vehicle can no longer be commanded. In controlled deorbit, engineers select a safe reentry corridor and a designated splashdown area, often over remote ocean regions.

The outcome of deorbiting is usually reentry and burning of much of the vehicle, with any surviving fragments directed away from populated areas. End-of-life disposal is a standard practice in space operations to reduce long-term space debris. Deorbit plans are part of mission design, regulatory compliance, and debris-mitigation guidelines observed by space agencies and commercial operators.