COSMOS 2491 DEB *

COSMOS 2491 DEB * is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Russia (CIS), launched on 2013-12-25 from PKMTR. After 13 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 734 km and 763 km with an inclination of 81.2°. It travels at approximately 26,937 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.43 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, COSMOS 2491 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.

COSMOS 2491 DEB * orbits at an average altitude of 749 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 COSMOS 2491 DEB *’s average altitude, there are currently 356 active payloads and 1,934 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 81.2°, COSMOS 2491 DEB * passes over latitudes between 81.2°N and 81.2°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. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,286 active satellites in total, of which 47 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2491 DEB *.