BRITE TORONTO

BRITE TORONTO is an active satellite operated by University of Toronto, Institute for Aerospace Studies (Canada), launched on 2014-06-19 from OREN. After 12 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 598 km and 707 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,120 km/h (7.53 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.73 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks BRITE TORONTO in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BRITE TORONTO orbits at an average altitude of 653 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 BRITE TORONTO’s average altitude, there are currently 696 active payloads and 1,060 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.0°, BRITE TORONTO passes over latitudes between 98.0°N and 98.0°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. Canada operates approximately 67 active satellites in total, of which 14 share a similar altitude band with BRITE TORONTO.