GPM

GPM is an active satellite operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/JAXA (Japan), launched on 2014-02-27 from TNSTA. After 12 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 425 km and 441 km with an inclination of 65.0°. It travels at approximately 27,554 km/h (7.65 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.45 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks GPM in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GPM orbits at an average altitude of 433 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 GPM’s average altitude, there are currently 7,374 active payloads and 143 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012, STARLINK-1017. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 42.4% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 65.0°, GPM passes over latitudes between 65.0°N and 65.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with GPM.