RITE TARGET 1

RITE TARGET 1 is an active satellite operated by Japan, launched on 2002-12-14 from TNSTA. With over 24 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 762 km and 774 km with an inclination of 98.8°. It travels at approximately 26,900 km/h (7.47 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.37 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. 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 ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks RITE TARGET 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

RITE TARGET 1 orbits at an average altitude of 768 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 RITE TARGET 1’s average altitude, there are currently 390 active payloads and 2,081 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 98.8°, RITE TARGET 1 passes over latitudes between 98.8°N and 98.8°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. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with RITE TARGET 1.