CARTOSAT 2C

CARTOSAT 2C is an active satellite operated by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) (India), launched on 2016-06-22 from SRI. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 501 km and 515 km with an inclination of 97.5°. It travels at approximately 27,404 km/h (7.61 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.19 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks CARTOSAT 2C in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CARTOSAT 2C orbits at an average altitude of 508 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 CARTOSAT 2C’s average altitude, there are currently 9,533 active payloads and 260 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 54.7% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.5°, CARTOSAT 2C passes over latitudes between 97.5°N and 97.5°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. India operates approximately 108 active satellites in total, of which 13 share a similar altitude band with CARTOSAT 2C.