OBJECT A

OBJECT A (NORAD ID 100741) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2026-09-17 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China on the Tianyi-51/52 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 498 km and 503 km with an inclination of 55.0°. It travels at approximately 27,419 km/h (7.62 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.22 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 ~3–10 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 501 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of OBJECT A’s average altitude, there are currently 10,281 active payloads and 238 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047, STARLINK-1184. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 55% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 55.0°, OBJECT A passes over latitudes between 55.0°N and 55.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,288 active satellites in total, of which 193 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT A.