RASSVET-3 21

RASSVET-3 21 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2026-07-19 from PKMTR on the Rassvet-3 G2 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 301 km and 324 km with an inclination of 82.3°. It travels at approximately 27,802 km/h (7.72 km/s), completing one full orbit every 91 minutes — that’s roughly 15.86 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks RASSVET-3 21 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

RASSVET-3 21 orbits at an average altitude of 313 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 RASSVET-3 21’s average altitude, there are currently 1,057 active payloads and 30 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1036, STARLINK-1043, STARLINK-1048. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 5.9% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 82.3°, RASSVET-3 21 passes over latitudes between 82.3°N and 82.3°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,303 active satellites in total, of which 34 share a similar altitude band with RASSVET-3 21.