Draco (space mission)

Draco

Mission type	Space sustainability
Operator	ESA
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Deimos Space
Start of mission
Launch date	2027 (planned)
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Altitude	< 100 km
Space Safety Programme ←  Hera Ramses  →

Draco (Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object) is a future spaceflight experiment under development by the European Space Agency (ESA) for launch in 2027. Draco will use a small space capsule to monitor the breakup process of a satellite reentering Earth atmosphere. The project, part of ESA's Space Safety Programme, aims to help the agency's space sustainability-related plans to build more "demisable" satellites that disintegrate entirely during reentry without generating space debris, limiting the environmental impact of spaceflight. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Proposed ESA Space Safety Fleet

Spacecraft

The Draco satellite, with no propulsion of its own, will be placed into a very low Earth orbit below 100 km of altitude for a rapid uncontrolled reentry within 12 hours. The process of its demise will be monitored by 200 sensors and 4 cameras sending their data to a 40 cm space capsule designed to survive the reentry and transmit all the data during its parachute descent towards ocean landing. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

See also

• List of European Space Agency programmes and missions
• List of space debris fall incidents
• QARMAN

References

1. "A Satellite Born to Die Is About to Be Launched on a Suicide Mission". SYFY. 2024-09-26. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
2. Pultarova, Tereza (2024-09-25). "Satellite Break-up Experiment to Help ESA Learn How Satellites Die". Payload. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
3. Atalayar (2024-09-25). "ESA commissions Deimos with the DRACO satellite to scrutinise from its entrails how it immolates in orbit". Atalayar. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
4. Shakir, Umar (2024-09-27). "Europe's space agency will destroy a brand-new satellite in 2027 just to see what happens". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
5. Jilete, Beatriz; Lemmens, Stijn; Eynde, Jeroen Van Den; Rosenbaum, Alex; Climent, Sara Sanchis; Beck, James; Loehle, Stefan; Turchi, Alessandro; Sakraker, Isil; Ferreira, José P.; Helber, Bernd; Tarabini-castellani, Lorenzo; Minacapilli, Paolo (2025). "DRACO scientific return concept: determining the truth of satellite demise". 9th European Conference on Space Debris.
6. "Mitigating space debris generation". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
7. Parsonson, Andrew (2024-09-25). "ESA Awards Contract for Capsule Designed for Destruction". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
8. Harrison, Kerry (2025-10-10). "ESA's Draco Mission Will Brave Fiery Destruction to Study How Satellites Die". Orbital Today. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
9. "Draco mission made for destruction". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-16.