COSMOS 2285

COSMOS 2285 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1994-08-02 from PKMTR. With over 32 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 973 km and 1,008 km with an inclination of 74.0°. It travels at approximately 26,490 km/h (7.36 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.73 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 2285 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 2285 orbits at an average altitude of 991 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 2285’s average altitude, there are currently 275 active payloads and 901 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 74.0°, COSMOS 2285 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 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 154 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2285.