SWARM A

SWARM A is an active satellite operated by European Space Agency (ESA) (ESA (European Space Agency)), launched on 2013-11-22 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia on the SWARM 1,2,3 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 410 km and 414 km with an inclination of 87.3°. It travels at approximately 27,597 km/h (7.67 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.52 orbits per day. 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks SWARM A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SWARM A orbits at an average altitude of 412 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 SWARM A’s average altitude, there are currently 1,211 active payloads and 98 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 6.4% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 87.3°, SWARM A passes over latitudes between 87.3°N and 87.3°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. ESA (European Space Agency) operates approximately 97 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with SWARM A.