PSLV DEB

PSLV DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to India, launched on 2001-10-22 from SRI on the TES launch. With over 25 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 657 km and 1,146 km with an inclination of 98.3°. It travels at approximately 26,652 km/h (7.40 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.98 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. As orbital debris, PSLV 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.

PSLV DEB orbits at an average altitude of 902 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of PSLV DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 210 active payloads and 1,332 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 98.3°, PSLV DEB passes over latitudes between 98.3°N and 98.3°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. India operates approximately 108 active satellites in total, of which 4 share a similar altitude band with PSLV DEB.