BLOCK DM-SL R/B

BLOCK DM-SL R/B is a spent rocket body associated with Russia (CIS), launched on 2026-02-12 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on the Elektro-L No. 5 launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 34,571 km and 35,409 km with an inclination of 0.1°. It travels at approximately 11,176 km/h (3.10 km/s), completing one full orbit every 23 hours 16 minutes — that’s roughly 1.03 orbits per day. Spent rocket bodies like BLOCK DM-SL 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.

BLOCK DM-SL R/B 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. Within ±50 km of BLOCK DM-SL R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 0 active payloads and 13 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,287 active satellites in total.