COSMOS 1331 DEB

COSMOS 1331 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1982-01-07 from PKMTR. With over 44 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 740 km and 771 km with an inclination of 74.0°. It travels at approximately 26,924 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.41 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, COSMOS 1331 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.

COSMOS 1331 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 756 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of COSMOS 1331 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 356 active payloads and 1,998 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 74.0°, COSMOS 1331 DEB passes over latitudes between 74.0°N and 74.0°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 1,286 active satellites in total, of which 46 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 1331 DEB.