COSMOS 1900

COSMOS 1900 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1987-12-12 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 39 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 689 km and 725 km with an inclination of 66.1°. It travels at approximately 27,016 km/h (7.50 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.56 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1900 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 1900 orbits at an average altitude of 707 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 1900’s average altitude, there are currently 251 active payloads and 1,520 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 66.1°, COSMOS 1900 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 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 1900.