CTS DEB (ARRAY COVER)

CTS DEB (ARRAY COVER) is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Canada, launched on 1976-01-17 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the CTS launch. After more than 50 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,552 km and 35,997 km with an inclination of 3.2°. It travels at approximately 11,071 km/h (3.08 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. As orbital debris, CTS DEB (ARRAY COVER) 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.

CTS DEB (ARRAY COVER) occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 3.2°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of CTS DEB (ARRAY COVER)’s average altitude, there are currently 706 active payloads and 56 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. Canada operates approximately 67 active satellites in total, of which 13 share a similar altitude band with CTS DEB (ARRAY COVER).