GAOFEN 11

GAOFEN 11 is an active satellite operated by China National Academy of Sciences (CNSAS) (China), launched on 2018-07-31 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China on the Gao Fen 11 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 387 km and 393 km with an inclination of 97.1°. It travels at approximately 27,642 km/h (7.68 km/s), completing one full orbit every 92 minutes — that’s roughly 15.59 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 months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks GAOFEN 11 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GAOFEN 11 orbits at an average altitude of 390 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 GAOFEN 11’s average altitude, there are currently 1,362 active payloads and 72 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 7.2% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.1°, GAOFEN 11 passes over latitudes between 97.1°N and 97.1°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 1,341 active satellites in total, of which 39 share a similar altitude band with GAOFEN 11.