PARASOL

PARASOL is an active satellite operated by France, launched on 2004-12-18 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 22 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 636 km and 657 km with an inclination of 98.5°. It travels at approximately 27,132 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.75 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 ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks PARASOL in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

PARASOL orbits at an average altitude of 647 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 PARASOL’s average altitude, there are currently 692 active payloads and 1,009 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 98.5°, PARASOL 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. France operates approximately 115 active satellites in total, of which 42 share a similar altitude band with PARASOL.