Satellite Reentry: The Fireball Descent (3D)

This 3D simulator models a deorbiting satellite falling through the atmosphere, driven by the real Sutton–Graves compression-heating relation rather than the common "air friction" myth. As atmospheric density rises exponentially with falling altitude, the stagnation heat flux climbs as the cube of velocity, ablating the structure at a rate tied to its material's heat of ablation; when dynamic pressure exceeds a component's structural limit it breaks apart into independently tracked fragments, some of which burn away completely while denser, tougher pieces can survive to reach the ground. Tune the reentry angle, entry velocity, mass, nose radius and material, then click the globe (or the button) to trigger the deorbit burn and watch the fireball respond in real time.