COSMOS 2428

COSMOS 2428 is an active satellite operated by Ministry of Defense (Russia (CIS)), launched on 2007-06-29 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. After 19 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 844 km and 855 km with an inclination of 70.9°. It travels at approximately 26,748 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.13 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 ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 2428 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 2428 orbits at an average altitude of 850 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 2428’s average altitude, there are currently 268 active payloads and 2,042 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 70.9°, COSMOS 2428 passes over latitudes between 70.9°N and 70.9°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 47 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2428.