OBJECT A

OBJECT A (NORAD ID 100356) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2026-08-16 from Wenchang, China on the WHDW 24 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 914 km and 927 km with an inclination of 50.0°. It travels at approximately 26,617 km/h (7.39 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.92 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT A orbits at an average altitude of 921 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of OBJECT A’s average altitude, there are currently 237 active payloads and 1,140 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 50.0°, OBJECT A passes over latitudes between 50.0°N and 50.0°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 1,273 active satellites in total, of which 68 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT A.