COSMOS 968

COSMOS 968 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1977-12-16 from PKMTR. With over 49 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 756 km and 781 km with an inclination of 74.0°. It travels at approximately 26,899 km/h (7.47 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.37 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 968 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 968 orbits at an average altitude of 769 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of COSMOS 968’s average altitude, there are currently 390 active payloads and 2,083 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 74.0°, COSMOS 968 passes over latitudes between 74.0°N and 74.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,286 active satellites in total, of which 55 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 968.