ZHEDA PIXING 1B

ZHEDA PIXING 1B is an active satellite operated by Zhejiang University (China), launched on 2010-09-22 from Jiuquan, China. After 16 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 582 km and 606 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,234 km/h (7.56 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.91 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks ZHEDA PIXING 1B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ZHEDA PIXING 1B orbits at an average altitude of 594 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 ZHEDA PIXING 1B’s average altitude, there are currently 2,115 active payloads and 619 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 12.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.0°, ZHEDA PIXING 1B 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. China operates approximately 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 178 share a similar altitude band with ZHEDA PIXING 1B.