COSMOS 209

COSMOS 209 is an active satellite operated by TSKBM (Russia (CIS)), launched on 1968-03-22 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on the US-A reactor launch. After more than 58 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 870 km and 932 km with an inclination of 65.3°. It travels at approximately 26,653 km/h (7.40 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.98 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 209 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 209 orbits at an average altitude of 901 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 209’s average altitude, there are currently 305 active payloads and 1,651 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 65.3°, COSMOS 209 passes over latitudes between 65.3°N and 65.3°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 1,553 active satellites in total, of which 81 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 209.