ISAT

ISAT is an active satellite operated by iSky Technology (Germany), launched on 2018-12-27 from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia on the Soyuz Rideshare 7 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 283 km and 294 km with an inclination of 97.6°. It travels at approximately 27,852 km/h (7.74 km/s), completing one full orbit every 90 minutes — that’s roughly 15.99 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 weeks to months. Orbital Radar tracks ISAT in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ISAT orbits at an average altitude of 289 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 ISAT’s average altitude, there are currently 264 active payloads and 16 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1036, STARLINK-1048, STARLINK-1068. With an inclination of 97.6°, ISAT passes over latitudes between 97.6°N and 97.6°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. Germany operates approximately 93 active satellites in total.