RESURS DK-1

RESURS DK-1 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2006-06-15 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 20 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 522 km and 531 km with an inclination of 69.9°. It travels at approximately 27,367 km/h (7.60 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.13 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks RESURS DK-1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

RESURS DK-1 orbits at an average altitude of 527 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of RESURS DK-1’s average altitude, there are currently 6,791 active payloads and 285 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1184, STARLINK-1231. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 39% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 69.9°, RESURS DK-1 passes over latitudes between 69.9°N and 69.9°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 55 share a similar altitude band with RESURS DK-1.