START 1 DEB

START 1 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1993-03-25 from PKMTR on the EKA-1 launch. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 667 km and 923 km with an inclination of 75.8°. It travels at approximately 26,849 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.29 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, START 1 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.

START 1 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 795 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 START 1 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 431 active payloads and 2,253 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 75.8°, START 1 DEB 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 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 68 share a similar altitude band with START 1 DEB.