AMSAT ECHO

AMSAT ECHO is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2004-06-29 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 22 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 688 km and 804 km with an inclination of 98.7°. It travels at approximately 26,942 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.44 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 AMSAT ECHO in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AMSAT ECHO orbits at an average altitude of 746 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 AMSAT ECHO’s average altitude, there are currently 375 active payloads and 1,918 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.7°, AMSAT ECHO passes over latitudes between 98.7°N and 98.7°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. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 147 share a similar altitude band with AMSAT ECHO.