GLOBALSTAR M004

GLOBALSTAR M004 is an active satellite operated by Globalstar (Globalstar), launched on 1998-02-14 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 28 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 1,406 km and 1,412 km with an inclination of 52.0°. It travels at approximately 25,768 km/h (7.16 km/s), completing one full orbit every 114 minutes — that’s roughly 12.63 orbits per day. 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 thousands of years. Orbital Radar tracks GLOBALSTAR M004 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GLOBALSTAR M004 orbits at an average altitude of 1,409 km in the uppermost reaches of Low Earth Orbit. At this altitude, orbital decay is effectively zero without active deorbiting, and coverage footprints are significantly larger than lower LEO, though at the cost of higher latency. Within ±50 km of GLOBALSTAR M004’s average altitude, there are currently 271 active payloads and 161 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 52.0°, GLOBALSTAR M004 passes over latitudes between 52.0°N and 52.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Globalstar operates approximately 84 active satellites in total, of which 31 share a similar altitude band with GLOBALSTAR M004.