HONGYUN 1

HONGYUN 1 is an active satellite operated by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) (China), launched on 2018-12-21 from Jiuquan, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 1,057 km and 1,077 km with an inclination of 99.8°. It travels at approximately 26,354 km/h (7.32 km/s), completing one full orbit every 107 minutes — that’s roughly 13.51 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks HONGYUN 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

HONGYUN 1 orbits at an average altitude of 1,067 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of HONGYUN 1’s average altitude, there are currently 187 active payloads and 430 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 99.8°, HONGYUN 1 passes over latitudes between 99.8°N and 99.8°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 162 share a similar altitude band with HONGYUN 1.