AUREOLE 3

AUREOLE 3 is an active satellite operated by France, launched on 1981-09-21 from PKMTR. With over 45 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 372 km and 1,023 km with an inclination of 82.5°. It travels at approximately 27,034 km/h (7.51 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.59 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks AUREOLE 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AUREOLE 3 orbits at an average altitude of 698 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of AUREOLE 3’s average altitude, there are currently 272 active payloads and 1,433 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 82.5°, AUREOLE 3 passes over latitudes between 82.5°N and 82.5°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. France operates approximately 114 active satellites in total, of which 32 share a similar altitude band with AUREOLE 3.