SL-16 DEB

SL-16 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 1992-12-25 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on the Tselina-2 launch. With over 34 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 612 km and 705 km with an inclination of 70.8°. It travels at approximately 27,109 km/h (7.53 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.71 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. As orbital debris, SL-16 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.

SL-16 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 659 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 SL-16 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 856 active payloads and 1,203 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, ONEWEB-0179. With an inclination of 70.8°, SL-16 DEB passes over latitudes between 70.8°N and 70.8°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 1,550 active satellites in total, of which 20 share a similar altitude band with SL-16 DEB.