INTERCOSMOS 22

INTERCOSMOS 22 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1981-08-07 from PKMTR. With over 45 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 784 km and 874 km with an inclination of 81.2°. It travels at approximately 26,786 km/h (7.44 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.19 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks INTERCOSMOS 22 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTERCOSMOS 22 orbits at an average altitude of 829 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 INTERCOSMOS 22’s average altitude, there are currently 282 active payloads and 2,203 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 81.2°, INTERCOSMOS 22 passes over latitudes between 81.2°N and 81.2°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,286 active satellites in total, of which 60 share a similar altitude band with INTERCOSMOS 22.