SENTINEL 3A

SENTINEL 3A is an active satellite operated by EUMETSAT (European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) (ESA (European Space Agency)), launched on 2016-02-16 from PKMTR. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 802 km and 804 km with an inclination of 98.6°. It travels at approximately 26,834 km/h (7.45 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.27 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. 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 ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks SENTINEL 3A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SENTINEL 3A orbits at an average altitude of 803 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 SENTINEL 3A’s average altitude, there are currently 440 active payloads and 2,296 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 98.6°, SENTINEL 3A passes over latitudes between 98.6°N and 98.6°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 93 active satellites in total, of which 11 share a similar altitude band with SENTINEL 3A.