SKYSAT-C12

SKYSAT-C12 is an active satellite operated by Planet Labs, Inc. (United States), launched on 2018-12-03 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the SSO-A launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 409 km and 415 km with an inclination of 96.9°. It travels at approximately 27,597 km/h (7.67 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.52 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. It is part of the Planet constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks SKYSAT-C12 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SKYSAT-C12 orbits at an average altitude of 412 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 SKYSAT-C12’s average altitude, there are currently 1,016 active payloads and 105 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 5.4% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 96.9°, SKYSAT-C12 passes over latitudes between 96.9°N and 96.9°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. United States operates approximately 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 820 share a similar altitude band with SKYSAT-C12.