CZ-4C R/B

CZ-4C R/B is a spent rocket body associated with China, launched on 2025-08-17 from Xichang, China on the SY28B-02 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 593 km and 806 km with an inclination of 11.0°. It travels at approximately 27,030 km/h (7.51 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.58 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Spent rocket bodies like CZ-4C 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.

CZ-4C R/B orbits at an average altitude of 700 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 CZ-4C R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 273 active payloads and 1,472 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 11.0°, CZ-4C R/B passes over latitudes between 11.0°N and 11.0°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. China operates approximately 1,221 active satellites in total, of which 58 share a similar altitude band with CZ-4C R/B.