METEOR 3M

METEOR 3M is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2001-12-10 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 25 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 993 km and 1,013 km with an inclination of 99.8°. It travels at approximately 26,468 km/h (7.35 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.69 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks METEOR 3M in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

METEOR 3M orbits at an average altitude of 1,003 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 METEOR 3M’s average altitude, there are currently 211 active payloads and 844 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 99.8°, METEOR 3M passes over latitudes between 99.8°N and 99.8°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. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 130 share a similar altitude band with METEOR 3M.