CZ-2F DEB

CZ-2F DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2022-08-04 from Jiuquan, China on the CSSHQ launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 447 km and 545 km with an inclination of 50.0°. It travels at approximately 27,428 km/h (7.62 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.23 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. As orbital debris, CZ-2F 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-2F DEB orbits at an average altitude of 496 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of CZ-2F DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 9,231 active payloads and 235 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 52.8% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 50.0°, CZ-2F DEB passes over latitudes between 50.0°N and 50.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,221 active satellites in total, of which 192 share a similar altitude band with CZ-2F DEB.