OPS 9442 (DSCS 2-12) DEB

OPS 9442 (DSCS 2-12) DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to United States, launched on 1978-12-14 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the DSCS II C-11 launch. With over 48 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,318 km and 37,362 km with an inclination of 8.3°. It travels at approximately 10,998 km/h (3.05 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.4 hours — that’s roughly 0.98 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. As orbital debris, OPS 9442 (DSCS 2-12) 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.

OPS 9442 (DSCS 2-12) DEB occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 8.3°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of OPS 9442 (DSCS 2-12) DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 43 active payloads and 10 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,358 active satellites in total, of which 11 share a similar altitude band with OPS 9442 (DSCS 2-12) DEB.