SARA

SARA is an active satellite operated by France, launched on 1991-07-17 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 35 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 694 km and 698 km with an inclination of 98.1°. It travels at approximately 27,037 km/h (7.51 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.59 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 ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks SARA in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SARA orbits at an average altitude of 696 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 SARA’s average altitude, there are currently 275 active payloads and 1,405 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.1°, SARA passes over latitudes between 98.1°N and 98.1°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 33 share a similar altitude band with SARA.