AEROCUBE 8C

AEROCUBE 8C is an active satellite operated by Aerospace Corporation (United States), launched on 2016-11-11 from Vandenberg SFB, California 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 488 km and 492 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,440 km/h (7.62 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.25 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks AEROCUBE 8C in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AEROCUBE 8C orbits at an average altitude of 490 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 AEROCUBE 8C’s average altitude, there are currently 9,657 active payloads and 214 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 54.2% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.0°, AEROCUBE 8C 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 12,671 active satellites in total, of which 9,046 share a similar altitude band with AEROCUBE 8C.