GLOBALSTAR M046

GLOBALSTAR M046 is an active satellite operated by Globalstar (Globalstar), launched on 1999-03-15 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 27 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 1,638 km and 1,640 km with an inclination of 52.0°. It travels at approximately 25,395 km/h (7.05 km/s), completing one full orbit every 119 minutes — that’s roughly 12.09 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 M046 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GLOBALSTAR M046 orbits at an average altitude of 1,639 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 M046’s average altitude, there are currently 23 active payloads and 138 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 52.0°, GLOBALSTAR M046 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 12 share a similar altitude band with GLOBALSTAR M046.