BEIDOU 2

BEIDOU 2 is an active satellite operated by China National Space Administration (China), launched on 2007-04-13 from Xichang, China. After 19 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 22,447 km and 22,457 km with an inclination of 50.9°. It travels at approximately 13,388 km/h (3.72 km/s), completing one full orbit every 13 hours 32 minutes — that’s roughly 1.77 orbits per day. It is part of the Beidou constellation group. Orbital Radar tracks BEIDOU 2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BEIDOU 2 orbits at an average altitude of 22,452 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of BEIDOU 2’s average altitude, there are currently 1 active payload and 11 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 50.9°, BEIDOU 2 passes over latitudes between 50.9°N and 50.9°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total.