SCD 2

SCD 2 is an active satellite operated by Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) (Brazil), launched on 1998-10-23 from Esrange, Sweden. With over 28 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 728 km and 752 km with an inclination of 25.0°. It travels at approximately 26,953 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 2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SCD 2 orbits at an average altitude of 740 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 2’s average altitude, there are currently 369 active payloads and 1,892 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 25.0°, SCD 2 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 2.