CZ-4C DEB

CZ-4C DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2013-11-20 from Taiyuan, China on the yaogan weixing 19 launch. After 13 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 693 km and 874 km with an inclination of 100.6°. It travels at approximately 26,871 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.32 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, CZ-4C 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.

CZ-4C DEB orbits at an average altitude of 784 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 CZ-4C DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 412 active payloads and 2,215 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 100.6°, CZ-4C DEB passes over latitudes between 100.6°N and 100.6°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 80 share a similar altitude band with CZ-4C DEB.