ELEKTRON / RB

ELEKTRON / RB is an active satellite operated by Japan, launched on 2026-09-26 from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, New Zealand. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 172 km and 538 km with an inclination of 37.9°. It travels at approximately 27,714 km/h (7.70 km/s), completing one full orbit every 92 minutes — that’s roughly 15.70 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks ELEKTRON / RB in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ELEKTRON / RB orbits at an average altitude of 355 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 ELEKTRON / RB’s average altitude, there are currently 1,047 active payloads and 39 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 5.6% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 37.9°, ELEKTRON / RB passes over latitudes between 37.9°N and 37.9°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. Japan operates approximately 208 active satellites in total, of which 5 share a similar altitude band with ELEKTRON / RB.