ARASE (ERG)

ARASE (ERG) is an active satellite operated by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (Japan), launched on 2016-12-20 from Uchinoura, Japan. After 10 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 386 km and 31,802 km with an inclination of 32.0°. It travels at approximately 15,164 km/h (4.21 km/s), completing one full orbit every 9 hours 19 minutes — that’s roughly 2.58 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.6992 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks ARASE (ERG) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ARASE (ERG) orbits at an average altitude of 16,094 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of ARASE (ERG)’s average altitude, there are currently 1 active payload and 7 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 32.0°, ARASE (ERG) passes over latitudes between 32.0°N and 32.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total.