COSMOS 371

COSMOS 371 is an active satellite operated by OKB-10 (Russia (CIS)), launched on 1970-10-12 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia on the Tsiklon launch. After more than 56 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 704 km and 709 km with an inclination of 74.0°. It travels at approximately 27,017 km/h (7.50 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.56 orbits per day. 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. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 371 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 371 orbits at an average altitude of 707 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 371’s average altitude, there are currently 276 active payloads and 1,656 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, ONEWEB-0179. With an inclination of 74.0°, COSMOS 371 passes over latitudes between 74.0°N and 74.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,553 active satellites in total, of which 16 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 371.