FENGYUN 2D DEB

FENGYUN 2D DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2006-12-08 from Xichang, China. With over 20 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,629 km and 35,942 km with an inclination of 11.7°. It travels at approximately 11,070 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. As orbital debris, FENGYUN 2D 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.

FENGYUN 2D DEB occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 11.7°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of FENGYUN 2D DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 713 active payloads and 58 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 108 share a similar altitude band with FENGYUN 2D DEB.