FREGAT R/B

FREGAT R/B is a spent rocket body associated with Russia (CIS), launched on 2016-05-24 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou on the GalileoSat 13-14 launch. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 23,491 km and 23,629 km with an inclination of 55.0°. It travels at approximately 13,137 km/h (3.65 km/s), completing one full orbit every 14 hours 19 minutes — that’s roughly 1.68 orbits per day. Spent rocket bodies like FREGAT 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.

FREGAT R/B orbits at an average altitude of 23,560 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 55.0°, FREGAT R/B passes over latitudes between 55.0°N and 55.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,286 active satellites in total.