HEAD-1

HEAD-1 is an active satellite operated by HEAD Aerospace (China), launched on 2017-11-14 from Taiyuan, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 788 km and 803 km with an inclination of 99.0°. It travels at approximately 26,848 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.29 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 ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks HEAD-1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

HEAD-1 orbits at an average altitude of 796 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 HEAD-1’s average altitude, there are currently 437 active payloads and 2,270 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 99.0°, HEAD-1 passes over latitudes between 99.0°N and 99.0°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. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 99 share a similar altitude band with HEAD-1.