COSMOS 1553
NORAD 14973
Payload
LEO
1984-046A
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🛰️ Orbital Parameters
Perigee
955 km
Apogee
1004 km
Inclination
82.9°
Period
104.7 min
Mean Motion
13.75618839 rev/day
TLE Epoch
2026-05-08 21:00:00 UTC
📐 Computed Orbital Characteristics
Avg. Altitude980 km
Orbital Velocity26,510 km/h
Velocity7.36 km/s
Orbital Period105 minutes
Orbits / Day13.76
Eccentricity0.0033
Semi-Major Axis7,351 km
Est. Orbital Lifetime~100–500 years
🚀 Launch & Identity
Country / Operator
🇷🇺 Russia (CIS)
Launch Date
1984-05-17
Launch Site
PKMTR
Int'l Designator
1984-046A
Object Type
Payload
RCS Size
Large (>1 m²)
📖 About This Object
COSMOS 1553 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1984-05-17 from PKMTR. With over 42 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 955 km and 1,004 km with an inclination of 82.9°. It travels at approximately 26,510 km/h (7.36 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.76 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1553 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.
🌍 Orbit Context
COSMOS 1553 occupies the mid-LEO band between 600 and 1,000 km, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains low. This altitude range balances orbital longevity (decades to centuries) with reasonable ground coverage, making it popular for remote sensing constellations, scientific instruments and weather satellites. Debris concerns are significant here because objects persist far longer than in lower orbits.
🔗 Cosmos (Military/Government) Series
This satellite carries the Cosmos designation, used by Russia (and formerly the Soviet Union) as a generic identifier for military and government spacecraft. The Cosmos series encompasses reconnaissance, signals intelligence (SIGINT), early warning, navigation, communications and scientific payloads. Many Cosmos satellites have classified missions with limited publicly available information.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
COSMOS 1553 orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 955 km (perigee) and 1,004 km (apogee), with an average altitude of approximately 980 km. It completes one orbit every 105 minutes, travelling at approximately 26,510 km/h (16,473 mph).
COSMOS 1553 is operated by Russia (CIS). It is catalogued by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network under NORAD ID 14973. You can track COSMOS 1553 in real time on Orbital Radar’s live tracker.
COSMOS 1553 was launched on 1984-05-17 from PKMTR. At its current altitude, the estimated remaining orbital lifetime is: ~100–500 years.
Yes — Orbital Radar tracks COSMOS 1553 (NORAD ID 14973) using the latest TLE (two-line element set) data from Space-Track and CelesTrak. Open the live tracker to see its current position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated in real time.
COSMOS 1553 travels at approximately 26,510 km/h (16,473 mph) — roughly 7.36 km/s. It completes 13.76 orbits per day, meaning the crew or instruments aboard (if any) would experience approximately 28 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.