GAOFEN 3 DEB

GAOFEN 3 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2016-08-09 from Taiyuan, China on the Gaofen 3 launch. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 732 km and 741 km with an inclination of 98.3°. It travels at approximately 26,960 km/h (7.49 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.47 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 ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, GAOFEN 3 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.

GAOFEN 3 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 737 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 GAOFEN 3 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 362 active payloads and 1,859 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.3°, GAOFEN 3 DEB passes over latitudes between 98.3°N and 98.3°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. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 41 share a similar altitude band with GAOFEN 3 DEB.