LAPAN A3

LAPAN A3 is an active satellite operated by Indonesian National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional - LAPAN) (Indonesia), 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 459 km and 474 km with an inclination of 97.2°. It travels at approximately 27,487 km/h (7.64 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.33 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks LAPAN A3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

LAPAN A3 orbits at an average altitude of 467 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 LAPAN A3’s average altitude, there are currently 8,011 active payloads and 186 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 46% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.2°, LAPAN A3 passes over latitudes between 97.2°N and 97.2°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. Indonesia operates approximately 17 active satellites in total.