ZQ-2E R/B

ZQ-2E R/B is a spent rocket body associated with China, launched on 2026-05-13 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China on the Dummy sat launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 178 km and 410 km with an inclination of 88.9°. It travels at approximately 27,840 km/h (7.73 km/s), completing one full orbit every 90 minutes — that’s roughly 15.92 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is weeks to months. Spent rocket bodies like ZQ-2E 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.

ZQ-2E R/B orbits at an average altitude of 294 km in the lower reaches of Low Earth Orbit, where atmospheric drag is significant and orbital lifetimes are measured in months to a few years. This is the busiest corridor in space — home to crewed spacecraft, rapid-revisit imaging satellites and the densest part of the Starlink constellation. Within ±50 km of ZQ-2E R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 209 active payloads and 22 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1020, STARLINK-1043, STARLINK-1046. With an inclination of 88.9°, ZQ-2E R/B passes over latitudes between 88.9°N and 88.9°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 1,695 active satellites in total, of which 14 share a similar altitude band with ZQ-2E R/B.