NOAA 17 DEB
NORAD 48741
Debris
LEO
2002-032CA
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LEO · NORAD 48741
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🛰️ Orbital Parameters
Perigee
626 km
Apogee
636 km
Inclination
98.7°
Period
97.3 min
Mean Motion
14.79748855 rev/day
TLE Epoch
2026-06-18 23:00:00 UTC
📐 Computed Orbital Characteristics
Avg. Altitude631 km
Orbital Velocity27,162 km/h
Velocity7.54 km/s
Orbital Period97 minutes
Orbits / Day14.80
Eccentricity0.0007
Semi-Major Axis7,002 km
Orbit ClassSun-Synchronous (SSO)
Est. Orbital Lifetime~10–25 years
🚀 Launch & Identity
Country / Operator
🇺🇸 NOAA (United States)
Launch Date
2002-06-24
Launch Site
Vandenberg SFB, California
Int'l Designator
2002-032CA
Object Type
Debris
RCS Size
Small (<0.1 m²)
🔗 Constellation / Groups
weather
📖 About This Object
NOAA 17 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to United States, launched on 2002-06-24 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 24 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 626 km and 636 km with an inclination of 98.7°. It travels at approximately 27,162 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.80 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. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. It is part of the Weather constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. As orbital debris, NOAA 17 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.
🌍 Orbit Context
NOAA 17 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 631 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 NOAA 17 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 790 active payloads and 843 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 98.7°, NOAA 17 DEB passes over latitudes between 98.7°N and 98.7°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. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 337 share a similar altitude band with NOAA 17 DEB.
🔗 Tracked Space Debris
This is a tracked piece of orbital debris — a fragment from a collision, explosion, or separation event that no longer serves any useful purpose. Space surveillance networks catalogue objects larger than approximately 10 cm in LEO. Even small debris can be catastrophic at orbital velocities (7–8 km/s in LEO), carrying kinetic energy comparable to a hand grenade per centimetre-sized fragment. The growing debris population is one of the most pressing challenges for long-term space sustainability.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
NOAA 17 DEB is in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised form of LEO at approximately 631 km altitude. Its 98.7° inclination causes the orbital plane to precess at exactly the rate of the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, so the satellite crosses each latitude at a consistent local solar time. It completes one orbit every 97 minutes, travelling at 27,162 km/h.
NOAA 17 DEB (NORAD ID 48741) is a piece of tracked orbital debris attributed to United States. It was likely created by a fragmentation event, collision, or mission-related separation. Even small debris objects at orbital velocities carry enormous kinetic energy, so they are tracked by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network to enable collision avoidance for operational satellites.
NOAA 17 DEB was launched on 2002-06-24 from Vandenberg SFB, California, primarily used for polar and sun-synchronous orbit launches due to its southward ocean trajectory from California. At its current altitude, the estimated remaining orbital lifetime is: ~10–25 years. View the full satellite launch log.
Yes — Orbital Radar tracks NOAA 17 DEB (NORAD ID 48741) using the latest TLE (two-line element set) data from Space-Track and CelesTrak. Open the live tracker to see its current position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated in real time. You can also browse the satellite directory to find other tracked objects.
NOAA 17 DEB travels at approximately 27,162 km/h (16,878 mph) — roughly 7.54 km/s. It completes 14.80 orbits per day, meaning the crew or instruments aboard (if any) would experience approximately 30 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.
All tracked debris poses a potential collision risk to operational satellites. At orbital velocities, even a small object carries enormous kinetic energy — a 1 cm fragment at 7.54 km/s has the energy equivalent of a hand grenade. Space agencies perform routine conjunction assessments and may manoeuvre operational satellites to avoid tracked objects like NOAA 17 DEB. Read more about debris statistics and the Kessler syndrome.