VESSELSAT 1

VESSELSAT 1 is an active satellite operated by LuxSpace / Orbcomm (Luxembourg), launched on 2011-10-12 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India on the Megha-Tropiques launch. After 15 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 844 km and 864 km with an inclination of 20.0°. It travels at approximately 26,739 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.11 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks VESSELSAT 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

VESSELSAT 1 orbits at an average altitude of 854 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of VESSELSAT 1’s average altitude, there are currently 267 active payloads and 2,241 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 20.0°, VESSELSAT 1 passes over latitudes between 20.0°N and 20.0°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. Luxembourg operates approximately 12 active satellites in total.