OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2)

OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2) is an active satellite operated by United Kingdom, launched on 1984-03-01 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 42 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 590 km and 601 km with an inclination of 97.8°. It travels at approximately 27,231 km/h (7.56 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.91 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 OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2) orbits at an average altitude of 596 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 OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2)’s average altitude, there are currently 2,115 active payloads and 632 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 12.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.8°, OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2) passes over latitudes between 97.8°N and 97.8°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 Kingdom operates approximately 720 active satellites in total, of which 18 share a similar altitude band with OSCAR 11 (UOSAT 2).