COSMOS 2517 (GEO-IK)

COSMOS 2517 (GEO-IK) is an active satellite operated by Ministry of Defense (Russia (CIS)), launched on 2016-06-04 from PKMTR. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 942 km and 944 km with an inclination of 99.2°. It travels at approximately 26,576 km/h (7.38 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.86 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. 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 2517 (GEO-IK) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 2517 (GEO-IK) orbits at an average altitude of 943 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of COSMOS 2517 (GEO-IK)’s average altitude, there are currently 323 active payloads and 1,113 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 99.2°, COSMOS 2517 (GEO-IK) passes over latitudes between 99.2°N and 99.2°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 167 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2517 (GEO-IK).