COSMOS 2251 DEB
NORAD 35837
Debris
LEO
1993-036ATK
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🛰️ Orbital Parameters
Perigee
711 km
Apogee
1318 km
Inclination
73.7°
Period
105.4 min
Mean Motion
13.65754373 rev/day
TLE Epoch
2026-10-03 03:00:00 UTC
📐 Computed Orbital Characteristics
Avg. Altitude1,015 km
Orbital Velocity26,447 km/h
Velocity7.35 km/s
Orbital Period105 minutes
Orbits / Day13.66
Eccentricity0.0411
Semi-Major Axis7,386 km
Est. Orbital Lifetime~500–1,000 years
🚀 Launch & Identity
Country / Operator
🇷🇺 Russia (CIS)
Launch Date
1993-06-16
Launch Site
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Int'l Designator
1993-036ATK
Object Type
Debris
RCS Size
Medium (0.1–1 m²)
📖 About This Object
COSMOS 2251 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1993-06-16 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia on the Strela-2M launch. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 711 km and 1,318 km with an inclination of 73.7°. It travels at approximately 26,447 km/h (7.35 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.66 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. As orbital debris, COSMOS 2251 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.
🌍 Orbit Context
COSMOS 2251 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 1,015 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 2251 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 250 active payloads and 989 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 73.7°, COSMOS 2251 DEB passes over latitudes between 73.7°N and 73.7°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 1,525 active satellites in total, of which 161 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2251 DEB.
🔗 Cosmos–Iridium Collision Debris
This debris object was created by the first accidental hypervelocity collision between two intact satellites — Cosmos 2251 (defunct, Russia) and Iridium 33 (active, USA) — on 10 February 2009 at approximately 790 km altitude. The collision occurred at a relative velocity of about 11.7 km/s and produced over 2,300 trackable fragments, many of which remain in orbit.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
COSMOS 2251 DEB orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 711 km (perigee) and 1,318 km (apogee), with an average altitude of approximately 1,015 km. It completes one orbit every 105 minutes, travelling at approximately 26,447 km/h (16,434 mph).
COSMOS 2251 DEB (NORAD ID 35837) is a piece of tracked orbital debris attributed to Russia (CIS). It was likely created by a fragmentation event, collision, or mission-related separation. Even small debris objects at orbital velocities carry enormous kinetic energy, so they are tracked by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network to enable collision avoidance for operational satellites.
COSMOS 2251 DEB was launched on 1993-06-16 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia, Russia’s northern military cosmodrome, used primarily for high-inclination and polar orbit launches. At its current altitude, the estimated remaining orbital lifetime is: ~500–1,000 years. View the full satellite launch log.
Yes — Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 2251 DEB (NORAD ID 35837) using the latest TLE (two-line element set) data from Space-Track and CelesTrak. Open the live tracker to see its current position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated in real time. You can also browse the satellite directory to find other tracked objects.
COSMOS 2251 DEB travels at approximately 26,447 km/h (16,434 mph) — roughly 7.35 km/s. It completes 13.66 orbits per day, meaning the crew or instruments aboard (if any) would experience approximately 27 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.
All tracked debris poses a potential collision risk to operational satellites. At orbital velocities, even a small object carries enormous kinetic energy — a 1 cm fragment at 7.35 km/s has the energy equivalent of a hand grenade. Space agencies perform routine conjunction assessments and may manoeuvre operational satellites to avoid tracked objects like COSMOS 2251 DEB. Read more about debris statistics and the Kessler syndrome.