APRIZESAT 6

APRIZESAT 6 is an active satellite operated by exactEarth (United States), launched on 2011-08-17 from OREN. After 15 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 608 km and 670 km with an inclination of 98.2°. It travels at approximately 27,146 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.77 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 APRIZESAT 6 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

APRIZESAT 6 orbits at an average altitude of 639 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 APRIZESAT 6’s average altitude, there are currently 755 active payloads and 922 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include AQUA, ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 98.2°, APRIZESAT 6 passes over latitudes between 98.2°N and 98.2°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. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 327 share a similar altitude band with APRIZESAT 6.