COSMOS 2600

COSMOS 2600 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2026-02-05 from PKMTR. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 320 km and 325 km with an inclination of 96.7°. It travels at approximately 27,781 km/h (7.72 km/s), completing one full orbit every 91 minutes — that’s roughly 15.83 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 months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 2600 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 2600 orbits at an average altitude of 323 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 COSMOS 2600’s average altitude, there are currently 1,059 active payloads and 22 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1036, STARLINK-1048, STARLINK-1067. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 6.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 96.7°, COSMOS 2600 passes over latitudes between 96.7°N and 96.7°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. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 20 share a similar altitude band with COSMOS 2600.