COROT

COROT is an active satellite operated by France, launched on 2006-12-27 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 20 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 591 km and 858 km with an inclination of 90.1°. It travels at approximately 26,982 km/h (7.50 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.50 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks COROT in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

COROT orbits at an average altitude of 725 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of COROT’s average altitude, there are currently 294 active payloads and 1,746 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 90.1°, COROT passes over latitudes between 90.1°N and 90.1°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 114 active satellites in total, of which 10 share a similar altitude band with COROT.