H-2A DEB *

H-2A DEB * is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to Japan, launched on 2018-10-29 from TNSTA on the GOSAT-2/Khalifasat launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 653 km and 694 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,080 km/h (7.52 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.66 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. As orbital debris, H-2A 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.

H-2A DEB * orbits at an average altitude of 674 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of H-2A DEB *’s average altitude, there are currently 560 active payloads and 1,227 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.0°, H-2A DEB * passes over latitudes between 98.0°N and 98.0°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. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total, of which 16 share a similar altitude band with H-2A DEB *.