RAVAN

RAVAN is an active satellite operated by Applied Physics Laboratory/NASA (United States), launched on 2016-11-11 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the WorldView-4 launch. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 370 km and 378 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,675 km/h (7.69 km/s), completing one full orbit every 92 minutes — that’s roughly 15.65 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 months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks RAVAN in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

RAVAN orbits at an average altitude of 374 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 RAVAN’s average altitude, there are currently 1,333 active payloads and 55 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 7.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.0°, RAVAN 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. United States operates approximately 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 1,205 share a similar altitude band with RAVAN.