COSMOS 2278

COSMOS 2278 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1994-04-23 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 32 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 837 km and 852 km with an inclination of 71.1°. It travels at approximately 26,757 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.14 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 2278 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 2278 orbits at an average altitude of 845 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 COSMOS 2278’s average altitude, there are currently 244 active payloads and 2,105 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 71.1°, COSMOS 2278 passes over latitudes between 71.1°N and 71.1°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 47 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2278.