BLOCK DM-SL DEB

BLOCK DM-SL DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 2019-12-24 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on the Elektro-L No. 3 launch. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 33,563 km and 36,522 km with an inclination of 5.7°. It travels at approximately 11,169 km/h (3.10 km/s), completing one full orbit every 23 hours 18 minutes — that’s roughly 1.03 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. As orbital debris, BLOCK DM-SL 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.

BLOCK DM-SL DEB occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 5.7°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of BLOCK DM-SL DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 0 active payloads and 14 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,550 active satellites in total.