CZ-2C R/B

CZ-2C R/B is a spent rocket body associated with China, launched on 2024-02-02 from Xichang, China on the GeeSat launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 590 km and 723 km with an inclination of 49.9°. It travels at approximately 27,113 km/h (7.53 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.71 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Spent rocket bodies like CZ-2C 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-2C R/B orbits at an average altitude of 657 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-2C R/B’s average altitude, there are currently 679 active payloads and 1,105 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 49.9°, CZ-2C R/B passes over latitudes between 49.9°N and 49.9°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. China operates approximately 1,221 active satellites in total, of which 149 share a similar altitude band with CZ-2C R/B.