COSMOS 2251 DEB, 40238

Orbit data source: Space-Track

COSMOS 2251 DEB, 40238 is space debris in LEO originally from a launch on Wed, 16 Jun 1993 UTC launched from the Plesetsk Missile And Space Complex (PKMTR). The debris from Iridium 33, an American commercial communications satellite, has been tracked extensively since its accidental collision with the defunct Russian satellite Cosmos 2251 in 2009. This event, occurring at high speed in low Earth orbit (LEO), generated thousands of pieces of space debris, significantly increasing the risk of further collisions. The Iridium 33 debris cloud has impacted space traffic management and orbital debris mitigation strategies, making it a subject of ongoing study in space situational awareness.

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Identifier
40238, 1993-036BVT
Orbit
LEO
Country
Flag of CISCIS
Related business
Manufacturer
Unknown
Mission
Spacecraft
Bus & Motor
Unknown
Mass
Unknown
Launch date (UTC)
1993-06-16 (32 years ago)
Launch vehicle
Unknown
Launch site
Plesetsk Missile And Space Complex (PKMTR)
Object type
Payload
Rocket body
Debris
Shape & HBR
Unknown shape, 0.1 m
Radar Cross Section
Small (<0.1 m²)

Expand to show TLE details & history
Last TLE update: 4 days ago

TLE from 4 days ago
0 COSMOS 2251 DEB
1 40238U 93036BVT 25338.55600154  .00002290  00000-0  23519-2 0  9990
2 40238  73.9885  76.1652 0549745  49.7266 315.0566 13.25091202539282
Epoch: 2025-12-04T13:20Z
TLE epoch observation values (Epoch: 2025-12-04T13:20:38.533Z)
Latitude
0.00004°
Longitude
162.3939°
Altitude
886.3 km
Speed
7.546 km/s
True Right ascension
05h 04m 39s
True Declination
0° 00' 00"
Sunlit
Object was in full shadow at epoch
Visualization orbit readout
Latitude
Unknown
Longitude
Unknown
Altitude
Unknown
Speed
Unknown
Apparent Right ascension
Unknown
Apparent Declination
Unknown
Sunlit
N/A
Visualization observer readout
Local Sidereal Time
18:02:23
Azimuth
Unknown
Elevation
Unknown
Doppler factor
Unknown
Orbital elements
Apogee altitude
1,577.652 km
Perigee altitude
748.503 km
Semi-major axis
7,541.215 km
Eccentricity
0.05497
Inclination
73.9885°
RAAN
76.1652°
Arg. of periapsis
49.7266°
True anomaly
310.3847°
Mean anomaly
315.0566°
Eccentric anomaly
312.74338°
Mean motion
3.31422 °/min
Orbital period
108.62 mins
BSTAR
0.0023519
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