IABS R/B

IABS R/B is a spent rocket body associated with United States, launched on 1992-02-11 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the DSCS III B-14 launch. With over 34 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 30,472 km and 35,676 km with an inclination of 7.5°. It travels at approximately 11,444 km/h (3.18 km/s), completing one full orbit every 21 hours 40 minutes — that’s roughly 1.11 orbits per day. Spent rocket bodies like IABS 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.

IABS R/B orbits at an average altitude of 33,074 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. With an inclination of 7.5°, IABS R/B passes over latitudes between 7.5°N and 7.5°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. United States operates approximately 12,413 active satellites in total.