On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) shared information from the POLSA SSA Operations Center on the re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere of a Russian Fregat R/B upper stage launched by a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket.
Images: POLSA
The POLSA SSA Operations Center is monitoring the re-entry into the atmosphere of the FREGAT R/B object (NORAD: 68537, COSPAR: 2026-061S), launched on March 23, 2026, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.
The currently estimated re-entry window is between May 16 at 08:43 and May 17 at 13:49 Polish time. Due to its orbital parameters, the object’s trajectory may pass over Europe, including Poland.
Given the estimated mass of the object, around 1,000 kg, and the lack of full data on its structure, it cannot be ruled out that fragments may survive re-entry into the atmosphere.
The situation is being continuously monitored, and the relevant services and institutions are being informed in accordance with applicable procedures. Please follow only official POLSA announcements.
Polish Space Agency POLSA
Fregat was developed by the Semyon A. Lavochkin Scientific and Production Association for Soyuz-U, Soyuz-FG, Soyuz-2, Zenit-3F and Zenit-2M carrier rockets. For Soyuz rockets, the Fregat-M/MT variant is 1.5 m long and 3.35 m in diameter, with a dry mass of 994–1,030 kg and a propellant mass of 6,640–7,100 kg. It is powered by an S5.92 LN liquid-fuel rocket engine using nitrogen tetroxide (N₂O₄) and 1,1-dimethylhydrazine.
According to available information, on March 23 Russia launched 16 satellites of the future Rassvet satellite constellation into low Earth orbit, around 300 km, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The constellation is being built by the private Moscow-based company Bureau 1440 as an equivalent of SpaceX’s Starlink communications system. Ambitious plans call for a constellation of 900 satellites.
The first experimental satellites, weighing 80 kg, were launched into orbit in June 2023, and three months later Bureau 1440 reported that it had established an internet connection via satellite. In 2024, a Soyuz-2.1b rocket launched three satellites equipped with 5G NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) communications technology into orbit.
Bureau 1440 shows footage of separation of 16 Rassvet satellites from Soyuz’s third stage pic.twitter.com/jhe2krZ1kA
— afec7032 🇷🇺 (@robert_savitsky) March 24, 2026
Note to illustrators: videos of last night’s Soyuz launch show that it used a different („military” style) payload fairing from the Ariane-4-derived 81KS type depicted by the satellite developer.
Context: https://t.co/zaum1S7eWh pic.twitter.com/7iPE8xWFls— Anatoly Zak (@RussianSpaceWeb) March 24, 2026
Fragment rakiety FREGAT (NORAD: 68537) o masie ok. 1t ponownie wejdzie w atmosferę między 16 maja, godz. 08:43 a 17 maja, godz. 13:49 czasu polskiego. Przelot https://t.co/3Ty3Frtytm. nad Polską. POLSA monitoruje #Reentry. #SSA #SST #SpaceSafety pic.twitter.com/0djosihmzv
— Polska Agencja Kosmiczna (@POLSA_GOV_PL) May 14, 2026
UPDATE
On Friday, May 15, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) published another press release:
Update to the announcement on the re-entry into the atmosphere of the FREGAT rocket fragment (NORAD: 68537)
Based on the latest available orbital information, we estimate that the FREGAT rocket fragment (NORAD: 68537) will re-enter the atmosphere between May 16 at 16:28 and May 17 at 09:12 Polish time, off the coast of Africa. According to calculations, there are currently no passes over the territory of the Republic of Poland.
The change and narrowing of the re-entry window is within expectations, and there has been a slight eastward shift of the subsatellite track.
Szacujemy ponowne wejście w atmosferę fragmentu rakiety FREGAT (NORAD: 68537) między 16 maja godz. 16:28 a 17 maja godz. 09:12 czasu polskiego u wybrzeży Afryki. Wg obliczeń nie ma obecnie przelotów nad terytorium RP. https://t.co/aseDJxYgua#POLSA #SSA #SST #SpaceSafety #reentry pic.twitter.com/qDuZeiEgcd
— Polska Agencja Kosmiczna (@POLSA_GOV_PL) May 15, 2026
UPDATE 2
We estimate that the FREGAT rocket fragment (NORAD: 68537) will re-enter the atmosphere between May 16 at 16:28 and May 17 at 09:12 Polish time, off the coast of Africa. According to calculations, there are currently no passes over the territory of the Republic of Poland.
Szacujemy ponowne wejście w atmosferę fragmentu rakiety FREGAT (NORAD: 68537) między 16 maja godz. 16:28 a 17 maja godz. 09:12 czasu polskiego u wybrzeży Afryki. Wg obliczeń nie ma obecnie przelotów nad terytorium RP. https://t.co/aseDJxYgua#POLSA #SSA #SST #SpaceSafety #reentry pic.twitter.com/qDuZeiEgcd
— Polska Agencja Kosmiczna (@POLSA_GOV_PL) May 15, 2026
UPDATE 3
We estimate that the FREGAT rocket fragment (NORAD: 68537) will re-enter the atmosphere between May 16 at 19:53 and May 17 at 04:03 Polish time over the Pacific Ocean. According to calculations, there are no passes over the territory of the Republic of Poland.
https://twitter.com/POLSA_GOV_PL/status/2055629272589418871
UPDATE 4
The FREGAT rocket fragment (NORAD: 68537) re-entered the atmosphere on May 16, 2026, at 22:36 ±33 minutes Polish time over the Pacific Ocean.
https://twitter.com/POLSA_GOV_PL/status/2056313922005672180