FENGYUN 1D

FENGYUN 1D is an active satellite operated by China Meteorological Administration (China), launched on 2002-05-15 from Taiyuan, China. With over 24 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 848 km and 869 km with an inclination of 99.0°. It travels at approximately 26,731 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.10 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks FENGYUN 1D in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

FENGYUN 1D orbits at an average altitude of 859 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of FENGYUN 1D’s average altitude, there are currently 255 active payloads and 1,937 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 99.0°, FENGYUN 1D passes over latitudes between 99.0°N and 99.0°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. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 129 share a similar altitude band with FENGYUN 1D.