SL-8 DEB *

SL-8 DEB * is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1982-01-07 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia on the Strela-2M launch. With over 44 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 633 km and 645 km with an inclination of 74.0°. It travels at approximately 27,146 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.77 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. As orbital debris, SL-8 DEB * poses a potential collision risk to operational satellites in nearby orbits and is continuously monitored by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and other tracking systems.

SL-8 DEB * orbits at an average altitude of 639 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 SL-8 DEB *’s average altitude, there are currently 965 active payloads and 1,013 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include AQUA, ONEWEB-0050. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 5.2% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 74.0°, SL-8 DEB * 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 1,537 active satellites in total, of which 15 share a similar altitude band with SL-8 DEB *.