JAS 2

JAS 2 is an active satellite operated by Japan, launched on 1996-08-17 from TNSTA. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 799 km and 1,321 km with an inclination of 98.5°. It travels at approximately 26,366 km/h (7.32 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.53 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks JAS 2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

JAS 2 orbits at an average altitude of 1,060 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 JAS 2’s average altitude, there are currently 187 active payloads and 445 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 98.5°, JAS 2 passes over latitudes between 98.5°N and 98.5°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. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total, of which 3 share a similar altitude band with JAS 2.