CARTOSAT 2B

CARTOSAT 2B is an active satellite operated by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) (India), launched on 2010-07-12 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India on the PSLV Rideshare 03 launch. After 16 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 627 km and 641 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,156 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.79 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 CARTOSAT 2B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CARTOSAT 2B orbits at an average altitude of 634 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 CARTOSAT 2B’s average altitude, there are currently 993 active payloads and 942 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 5.3% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.0°, CARTOSAT 2B passes over latitudes between 98.0°N and 98.0°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. India operates approximately 109 active satellites in total, of which 12 share a similar altitude band with CARTOSAT 2B.