COSMOS 1174

COSMOS 1174 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1980-04-18 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 46 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 370 km and 1,029 km with an inclination of 66.1°. It travels at approximately 27,030 km/h (7.51 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.58 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1174 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 1174 orbits at an average altitude of 700 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 1174’s average altitude, there are currently 274 active payloads and 1,465 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 66.1°, COSMOS 1174 passes over latitudes between 66.1°N and 66.1°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 10 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 1174.