▁de br is . ▁Ro cket ▁stages ▁( or ▁sat ell ites ) ▁with ▁enough ▁prop ell ant ▁may ▁make ▁a ▁direct , ▁controlled ▁de - or bit , ▁or ▁if ▁this ▁would ▁require ▁too ▁much ▁prop ell ant , ▁a ▁satellite ▁may ▁be ▁brought ▁to ▁an ▁orbit ▁where ▁atmos pher ic ▁drag ▁would ▁cause ▁it ▁to ▁eventually ▁de - or bit . ▁This ▁was ▁done ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁Sp ot - 1 ▁satellite , ▁reducing ▁its ▁atmos pher ic ▁re - entry ▁time ▁from ▁a ▁project ed ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years ▁to ▁about ▁ 1 5 ▁by ▁lower ing ▁its ▁alt itude ▁from ▁ ▁to ▁about ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁I rid ium ▁const ell ation — 9 5 ▁communication ▁sat ell ites ▁launched ▁during ▁the ▁five - year ▁period ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 2 — prov ides ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁data ▁points ▁on ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁self - rem oval . ▁The ▁satellite ▁operator — I rid ium ▁Communic ations — rem ained ▁oper ational ▁( al beit ▁with ▁a ▁company ▁name ▁change ▁through ▁a ▁corpor ate ▁bank rupt cy ▁during ▁the ▁period ) ▁over ▁the ▁two - de cade ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁sat ell ites , ▁and ▁by ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁had ▁" comple ted ▁dispos al ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁its ▁ 6 5 ▁working ▁legacy ▁sat ell ites ." ▁However , ▁this ▁process ▁left ▁nearly ▁one - third ▁of ▁the ▁mass ▁of ▁this ▁const ell ation ▁(