CZ-4B DEB

CZ-4B DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2020-09-21 from Jiuquan, China on the HY-2C launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 906 km and 955 km with an inclination of 66.1°. It travels at approximately 26,599 km/h (7.39 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.89 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. As orbital debris, CZ-4B 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-4B DEB orbits at an average altitude of 931 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of CZ-4B DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 278 active payloads and 1,143 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 66.1°, CZ-4B DEB passes over latitudes between 66.1°N and 66.1°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 83 share a similar altitude band with CZ-4B DEB.