FENGYUN 3B

FENGYUN 3B is an active satellite operated by China Meteorological Administration (China), launched on 2010-11-04 from Taiyuan, 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 827 km and 859 km with an inclination of 99.0°. It travels at approximately 26,760 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.15 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 ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks FENGYUN 3B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

FENGYUN 3B orbits at an average altitude of 843 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 FENGYUN 3B’s average altitude, there are currently 265 active payloads and 2,118 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 99.0°, FENGYUN 3B passes over latitudes between 99.0°N and 99.0°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 133 share a similar altitude band with FENGYUN 3B.