CZ-6A R/B

CZ-6A R/B is a spent rocket body associated with China, launched on 2026-07-30 from Taiyuan, China. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 977 km and 1,123 km with an inclination of 64.8°. It travels at approximately 26,384 km/h (7.33 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.56 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Spent rocket bodies like CZ-6A R/B are among the largest pieces of uncontrolled space debris and are priority targets for collision avoidance manoeuvres and future active debris removal efforts.

CZ-6A R/B orbits at an average altitude of 1,050 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of CZ-6A R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 242 active payloads and 484 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 64.8°, CZ-6A R/B passes over latitudes between 64.8°N and 64.8°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,249 active satellites in total, of which 213 share a similar altitude band with CZ-6A R/B.