ASTRID

ASTRID is an active satellite operated by Sweden, launched on 1995-01-24 from PKMTR. With over 31 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 958 km and 1,019 km with an inclination of 82.9°. It travels at approximately 26,494 km/h (7.36 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.73 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks ASTRID in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ASTRID orbits at an average altitude of 989 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of ASTRID’s average altitude, there are currently 278 active payloads and 909 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 82.9°, ASTRID passes over latitudes between 82.9°N and 82.9°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. Sweden operates approximately 15 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with ASTRID.