CZ-10B DEB

CZ-10B DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2026-07-10 from Wenchang, China on the CX-26 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 804 km and 813 km with an inclination of 50.0°. It travels at approximately 26,824 km/h (7.45 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.25 orbits per day. 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 ~100–500 years. As orbital debris, CZ-10B 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.

CZ-10B DEB orbits at an average altitude of 809 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of CZ-10B DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 428 active payloads and 2,324 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 50.0°, CZ-10B DEB passes over latitudes between 50.0°N and 50.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. China operates approximately 1,275 active satellites in total, of which 99 share a similar altitude band with CZ-10B DEB.