ELISA W11

ELISA W11 is an active satellite operated by DGA (Arms Procurement Agency)/Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) (France), launched on 2011-12-17 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. After 15 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 636 km and 638 km with an inclination of 97.8°. It travels at approximately 27,150 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.78 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. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks ELISA W11 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ELISA W11 orbits at an average altitude of 637 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 ELISA W11’s average altitude, there are currently 761 active payloads and 899 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include AQUA, ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 97.8°, ELISA W11 passes over latitudes between 97.8°N and 97.8°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. France operates approximately 115 active satellites in total, of which 43 share a similar altitude band with ELISA W11.