ORBCOMM FM 16 DEB

ORBCOMM FM 16 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to ORBCOMM, launched on 1998-08-02 from Esrange, Sweden. With over 28 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 759 km and 767 km with an inclination of 45.0°. It travels at approximately 26,909 km/h (7.47 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.39 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. It is part of the Orbcomm constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, ORBCOMM FM 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.

ORBCOMM FM 16 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 763 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 ORBCOMM FM 16 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 370 active payloads and 2,060 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 45.0°, ORBCOMM FM 16 DEB passes over latitudes between 45.0°N and 45.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. ORBCOMM operates approximately 58 active satellites in total, of which 34 share a similar altitude band with ORBCOMM FM 16 DEB.