COSMOS 2455

COSMOS 2455 is an active satellite operated by Ministry of Defense (Russia (CIS)), launched on 2009-11-20 from PKMTR. After 17 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 902 km and 907 km with an inclination of 67.2°. It travels at approximately 26,646 km/h (7.40 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.97 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 2455 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 2455 orbits at an average altitude of 905 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 2455’s average altitude, there are currently 211 active payloads and 1,283 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 67.2°, COSMOS 2455 passes over latitudes between 67.2°N and 67.2°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 53 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2455.