MOHAMMED VI-A

MOHAMMED VI-A is an active satellite operated by Kingdom of Morocco (Morocco), launched on 2017-11-08 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 638 km and 640 km with an inclination of 98.0°. It travels at approximately 27,146 km/h (7.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.77 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 ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks MOHAMMED VI-A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

MOHAMMED VI-A orbits at an average altitude of 639 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 MOHAMMED VI-A’s average altitude, there are currently 755 active payloads and 921 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include AQUA, ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 98.0°, MOHAMMED VI-A 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. Morocco operates approximately 4 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with MOHAMMED VI-A.