OBJECT BS

OBJECT BS (NORAD ID 43822) is a space object catalogued under Unknown, launched on 2018-12-03 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the SSO-A launch. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as VisionCube 1, attributed to Korea AeU. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 514 km and 526 km with an inclination of 97.4°. It travels at approximately 27,380 km/h (7.61 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.15 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT BS in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT BS orbits at an average altitude of 520 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 OBJECT BS’s average altitude, there are currently 5,802 active payloads and 287 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1184, STARLINK-1276, STARLINK-1451. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 31% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.4°, OBJECT BS passes over latitudes between 97.4°N and 97.4°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.