HAIYANG 2B

HAIYANG 2B is an active satellite operated by State Oceanic Administration (SOA) (China), launched on 2018-10-24 from Taiyuan, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 966 km and 967 km with an inclination of 99.3°. It travels at approximately 26,534 km/h (7.37 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.79 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 ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks HAIYANG 2B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

HAIYANG 2B orbits at an average altitude of 967 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 HAIYANG 2B’s average altitude, there are currently 288 active payloads and 999 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 99.3°, HAIYANG 2B passes over latitudes between 99.3°N and 99.3°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 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 24 share a similar altitude band with HAIYANG 2B.