AIST 2

AIST 2 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2013-04-19 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on the Bion-M No. 1/Cubesats launch. After 13 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 474 km and 497 km with an inclination of 64.9°. It travels at approximately 27,449 km/h (7.62 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.27 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks AIST 2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AIST 2 orbits at an average altitude of 486 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of AIST 2’s average altitude, there are currently 9,403 active payloads and 211 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 52.8% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 64.9°, AIST 2 passes over latitudes between 64.9°N and 64.9°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,302 active satellites in total, of which 57 share a similar altitude band with AIST 2.