CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1)

CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1) is an active satellite operated by Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), launched on 2003-10-21 from Taiyuan, China. With over 23 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 721 km and 739 km with an inclination of 98.5°. It travels at approximately 26,972 km/h (7.49 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.49 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 ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1) orbits at an average altitude of 730 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 CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1)’s average altitude, there are currently 360 active payloads and 1,843 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.5°, CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1) passes over latitudes between 98.5°N and 98.5°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 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 50 share a similar altitude band with CHUANG XIN 1 (CZ-1).