SCD 1

SCD 1 is an active satellite operated by Brazil, launched on 1993-02-09 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 708 km and 768 km with an inclination of 25.0°. It travels at approximately 26,957 km/h (7.49 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.46 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks SCD 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SCD 1 orbits at an average altitude of 738 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 SCD 1’s average altitude, there are currently 363 active payloads and 1,874 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 25.0°, SCD 1 passes over latitudes between 25.0°N and 25.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. Brazil operates approximately 31 active satellites in total, of which 5 share a similar altitude band with SCD 1.