Is 2023-072D about to reenter?
NORAD 56746 · ~272 km · not currently predicted to reenter
Not right now. 2023-072D (NORAD 56746) is at about 272 km — still comfortably in orbit and not currently predicted to reenter soon. It would need to decay well below 260 km before reentry became a near-term story.
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“2023-072D (NORAD 56746) is currently at ~272 km and not currently predicted to reenter — live status: Cosmik (gocosmik.com), CC-BY 4.0”
gocosmik.com/reentry/2023-072d#status
Live altitude & decay trend
| Current altitude | ~272 km |
|---|---|
| 24-hour decay | roughly steady |
| Trend | slowly decaying |
| Reentry window | not predicted soon |
| Type | satellite |
Altitude computed by propagating 2023-072D's latest CelesTrak/NORAD orbital elements with SGP4 (satellite.js) — the same engine behind our live map. Updated September 2026.
How honest is this window?
Be warned: reentry timing is genuinely hard to pin down. Cosmik uses a drag-threshold heuristic — current altitude plus the last 24 hours of decay — not a precise reentry-window solution. Atmospheric density swings with solar activity, so the real window can move by hours or days, and a satellite's exact reentry point isn't known until its final orbits. Treat the window as "something is coming down soon," not a countdown to a place and minute. For the current best estimate delivered automatically, use reentry alerts.
What survives reentry?
Almost nothing, usually. At ~28,000 km/h the atmosphere heats an object until it breaks apart and burns — often visible from the ground as a bright, slow fireball. Only large or dense components (fuel tanks, dense alloys) sometimes reach the surface, and they nearly always fall over ocean or empty land. Read what happens when satellites fall for the full picture, and see how much space debris is in orbit for the bigger context.
Where will it come down?
This satellite circles Earth roughly every 90 minutes, so its ground track covers a wide band of latitudes rather than a single spot. Because the exact reentry time is uncertain, the ground location is too — an hour of timing error moves the point most of the way around the planet. You can watch 2023-072D's current ground track and orbit on the live 3D map.
Track 2023-072D's final orbits
Follow 2023-072D live on the 3D satellite tracker to watch its decaying orbit, or turn on reentry alerts to get a free push or email when it (or any object) is predicted to fall. More on how alerts work: satellite reentry alerts.
Frequently asked questions
Is 2023-072D about to reenter?
Not currently. 2023-072D (NORAD 56746) is at about 272 km as of September 2026, still in a stable orbit. It is not predicted to reenter soon.
What altitude is 2023-072D at?
As of September 2026, 2023-072D is at roughly 272 km, computed by propagating its latest CelesTrak/NORAD orbital elements (TLE) with SGP4. Altitude on this page refreshes as fresh tracking data arrives.
Will 2023-072D hit the ground?
Almost certainly not. The overwhelming majority of satellites and rocket bodies burn up completely on reentry, sometimes as a bright, slow fireball. Only large or dense objects leave fragments that reach the surface, and the odds of debris reaching any given person are vanishingly small.
How can I track 2023-072D's reentry?
Watch it move on Cosmik's live 3D satellite tracker, and turn on free reentry alerts to get a push or email when it's predicted to fall. Cosmik updates the prediction as new tracking data comes in.
More reentries
See everything coming down on the satellite reentries hub, get reentry alerts, or read about space debris and what happens when satellites fall.
