DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB

DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to United States, launched on 1995-03-24 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the DMSP Block 5D-2 S-13 launch. With over 31 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 833 km and 1,001 km with an inclination of 99.1°. It travels at approximately 26,624 km/h (7.40 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.93 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. As orbital debris, DMSP 5D-2 F13 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.

DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 917 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 DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 327 active payloads and 1,423 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 99.1°, DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB passes over latitudes between 99.1°N and 99.1°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. United States operates approximately 13,201 active satellites in total, of which 156 share a similar altitude band with DMSP 5D-2 F13 DEB.