START 1

START 1 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1993-03-25 from PKMTR. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 678 km and 955 km with an inclination of 75.8°. It travels at approximately 26,809 km/h (7.45 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.23 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks START 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

START 1 orbits at an average altitude of 817 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 START 1’s average altitude, there are currently 402 active payloads and 2,299 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 75.8°, START 1 passes over latitudes between 75.8°N and 75.8°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 81 share a similar altitude band with START 1.