ELISA W23

ELISA W23 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 665 km and 666 km with an inclination of 97.8°. It travels at approximately 27,095 km/h (7.53 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.69 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 W23 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ELISA W23 orbits at an average altitude of 666 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 W23’s average altitude, there are currently 636 active payloads and 1,164 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 97.8°, ELISA W23 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 114 active satellites in total, of which 43 share a similar altitude band with ELISA W23.