CZ-2C R/B

CZ-2C R/B is a spent rocket body associated with China, launched on 2022-10-12 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China on the HJ-2-05 (5m S-SAR-01) launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 293 km and 301 km with an inclination of 97.3°. It travels at approximately 27,834 km/h (7.73 km/s), completing one full orbit every 90 minutes — that’s roughly 15.92 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 weeks to months. Spent rocket bodies like CZ-2C R/B are among the largest pieces of uncontrolled space debris and are priority targets for collision avoidance manoeuvres and future active debris removal efforts.

CZ-2C R/B orbits at an average altitude of 297 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 CZ-2C R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 205 active payloads and 15 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1036, STARLINK-1043, STARLINK-1048. With an inclination of 97.3°, CZ-2C R/B passes over latitudes between 97.3°N and 97.3°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 1,321 active satellites in total, of which 7 share a similar altitude band with CZ-2C R/B.