COSMOS 249 DEB *

COSMOS 249 DEB * is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1968-10-20 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on the I2P launch. After more than 58 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 569 km and 1,644 km with an inclination of 63.0°. It travels at approximately 26,284 km/h (7.30 km/s), completing one full orbit every 107 minutes — that’s roughly 13.41 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. As orbital debris, COSMOS 249 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 249 DEB * orbits at an average altitude of 1,107 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 249 DEB *’s average altitude, there are currently 421 active payloads and 487 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 63.0°, COSMOS 249 DEB * passes over latitudes between 63.0°N and 63.0°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 1,537 active satellites in total.