PEGASUS R/B

PEGASUS R/B is a spent rocket body associated with United States, launched on 1995-04-03 from Vandenberg SFB, California on the Orbcomm FM1 launch. With over 31 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 710 km and 721 km with an inclination of 70.0°. It travels at approximately 26,999 km/h (7.50 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.53 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 ~25–100 years. Spent rocket bodies like PEGASUS 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.

PEGASUS R/B orbits at an average altitude of 716 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of PEGASUS R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 278 active payloads and 1,651 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 70.0°, PEGASUS R/B passes over latitudes between 70.0°N and 70.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. United States operates approximately 12,413 active satellites in total, of which 72 share a similar altitude band with PEGASUS R/B.