SAOCOM 1-A

SAOCOM 1-A is an active satellite operated by National Space Activities Commission (CONAE) (Argentina), launched on 2018-10-08 from Vandenberg SFB, California. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 621 km and 624 km with an inclination of 97.9°. It travels at approximately 27,178 km/h (7.55 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.82 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 SAOCOM 1-A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SAOCOM 1-A orbits at an average altitude of 623 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 SAOCOM 1-A’s average altitude, there are currently 833 active payloads and 791 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3055, STARLINK-3109. With an inclination of 97.9°, SAOCOM 1-A passes over latitudes between 97.9°N and 97.9°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. Argentina operates approximately 34 active satellites in total, of which 7 share a similar altitude band with SAOCOM 1-A.