GLOBALSTAR DEB

GLOBALSTAR DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Globalstar, launched on 1999-06-10 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the Globalstar D-3 launch. With over 27 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 872 km and 1,062 km with an inclination of 52.0°. It travels at approximately 26,533 km/h (7.37 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.79 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. As orbital debris, GLOBALSTAR 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.

GLOBALSTAR DEB orbits at an average altitude of 967 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 GLOBALSTAR DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 290 active payloads and 999 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 52.0°, GLOBALSTAR DEB passes over latitudes between 52.0°N and 52.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Globalstar operates approximately 84 active satellites in total.