SJ-16

SJ-16 is an active satellite operated by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) (China), launched on 2013-10-25 from Jiuquan, China. After 13 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 578 km and 601 km with an inclination of 75.0°. It travels at approximately 27,243 km/h (7.57 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.93 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks SJ-16 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SJ-16 orbits at an average altitude of 590 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 SJ-16’s average altitude, there are currently 3,049 active payloads and 602 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 17.5% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 75.0°, SJ-16 passes over latitudes between 75.0°N and 75.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 173 share a similar altitude band with SJ-16.