CZ-11 DEB

CZ-11 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to China, launched on 2025-11-08 from YSLA on the Shiyan 32 01-03 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 362 km and 375 km with an inclination of 53.0°. It travels at approximately 27,686 km/h (7.69 km/s), completing one full orbit every 92 minutes — that’s roughly 15.67 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is months to ~1 year. As orbital debris, CZ-11 DEB poses a potential collision risk to operational satellites in nearby orbits and is continuously monitored by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and other tracking systems.

CZ-11 DEB orbits at an average altitude of 369 km in the lower reaches of Low Earth Orbit, where atmospheric drag is significant and orbital lifetimes are measured in months to a few years. This is the busiest corridor in space — home to crewed spacecraft, rapid-revisit imaging satellites and the densest part of the Starlink constellation. Within ±50 km of CZ-11 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 1,331 active payloads and 56 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012, STARLINK-1020. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 7.6% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 53.0°, CZ-11 DEB passes over latitudes between 53.0°N and 53.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,221 active satellites in total, of which 28 share a similar altitude band with CZ-11 DEB.