YZ-1S DEB

YZ-1S DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2021-11-03 from Jiuquan, China on the YG-32-02 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 641 km and 650 km with an inclination of 98.3°. It travels at approximately 27,134 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.75 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. As orbital debris, YZ-1S 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.

YZ-1S DEB orbits at an average altitude of 646 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 YZ-1S DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 684 active payloads and 989 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 98.3°, YZ-1S DEB passes over latitudes between 98.3°N and 98.3°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. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 154 share a similar altitude band with YZ-1S DEB.