BABY BIRD

BABY BIRD is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2026-10-01 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the Transporter-18 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 514 km and 516 km with an inclination of 97.5°. It travels at approximately 27,390 km/h (7.61 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.17 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. 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 BABY BIRD in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BABY BIRD orbits at an average altitude of 515 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of BABY BIRD’s average altitude, there are currently 7,372 active payloads and 281 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1184, STARLINK-1276, STARLINK-1451. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 39.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.5°, BABY BIRD passes over latitudes between 97.5°N and 97.5°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. United States operates approximately 13,271 active satellites in total, of which 6,665 share a similar altitude band with BABY BIRD.