TERRA SAR X

TERRA SAR X is an active satellite operated by German Aerospace Center (DLR)/Infoterra (Germany), launched on 2007-06-15 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. After 19 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 507 km and 509 km with an inclination of 97.5°. It travels at approximately 27,404 km/h (7.61 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.19 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks TERRA SAR X in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TERRA SAR X orbits at an average altitude of 508 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 TERRA SAR X’s average altitude, there are currently 9,535 active payloads and 261 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 54.7% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.5°, TERRA SAR X passes over latitudes between 97.5°N and 97.5°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. Germany operates approximately 80 active satellites in total, of which 27 share a similar altitude band with TERRA SAR X.