PAKTES 1A

PAKTES 1A is an active satellite operated by Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) (Pakistan), launched on 2018-07-09 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China on the PRSS-1 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 551 km and 585 km with an inclination of 98.2°. It travels at approximately 27,285 km/h (7.58 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 15.00 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks PAKTES 1A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

PAKTES 1A orbits at an average altitude of 568 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 PAKTES 1A’s average altitude, there are currently 1,085 active payloads and 526 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3055. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 5.7% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.2°, PAKTES 1A passes over latitudes between 98.2°N and 98.2°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. Pakistan operates approximately 8 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with PAKTES 1A.