OBJECT A

OBJECT A is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2026-11-07 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 19,198 km and 19,290 km with an inclination of 65.2°. It travels at approximately 14,201 km/h (3.94 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 20 minutes — that’s roughly 2.12 orbits per day. 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 19,244 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of OBJECT A’s average altitude, there are currently 1 active payload and 11 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 65.2°, OBJECT A passes over latitudes between 65.2°N and 65.2°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,574 active satellites in total.