QAEM 100 R/B

QAEM 100 R/B is a spent rocket body associated with Iran, launched on 2024-01-20 from SMTS on the Suraya launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 717 km and 771 km with an inclination of 64.5°. It travels at approximately 26,945 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.44 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Spent rocket bodies like QAEM 100 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.

QAEM 100 R/B orbits at an average altitude of 744 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 QAEM 100 R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 369 active payloads and 1,921 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 64.5°, QAEM 100 R/B passes over latitudes between 64.5°N and 64.5°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Iran operates approximately 5 active satellites in total.