ORBCOMM FM 5 DEB

ORBCOMM FM 5 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to ORBCOMM, launched on 1997-12-23 from Esrange, Sweden. With over 29 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 756 km and 808 km with an inclination of 45.0°. It travels at approximately 26,874 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.33 orbits per day. It is part of the Orbcomm constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. As orbital debris, ORBCOMM FM 5 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.

ORBCOMM FM 5 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 782 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 ORBCOMM FM 5 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 402 active payloads and 2,206 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 45.0°, ORBCOMM FM 5 DEB passes over latitudes between 45.0°N and 45.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. ORBCOMM operates approximately 58 active satellites in total, of which 34 share a similar altitude band with ORBCOMM FM 5 DEB.