COSMOS 1238

COSMOS 1238 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1981-01-16 from PKMTR. With over 45 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 388 km and 1,311 km with an inclination of 83.0°. It travels at approximately 26,748 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.13 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1238 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COSMOS 1238 orbits in the most densely populated region of Low Earth Orbit, between roughly 300 and 600 km altitude. This band is home to the International Space Station, most Earth observation satellites, and the bulk of the Starlink constellation. Objects here experience measurable atmospheric drag, which gradually lowers their orbit over months to years and eventually causes re-entry. The relatively short signal path makes this altitude ideal for low-latency communications and high-resolution imaging.