UNAMSAT

UNAMSAT is an active satellite operated by Mexico, launched on 1996-09-05 from PKMTR. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 964 km and 1,006 km with an inclination of 82.9°. It travels at approximately 26,500 km/h (7.36 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.74 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks UNAMSAT in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

UNAMSAT orbits at an average altitude of 985 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 UNAMSAT’s average altitude, there are currently 281 active payloads and 926 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 82.9°, UNAMSAT 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. Mexico operates approximately 10 active satellites in total.