EMISAT

EMISAT is an active satellite operated by Defence Research and Development Organization (India), launched on 2019-04-01 from SRI. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 734 km and 759 km with an inclination of 98.5°. It travels at approximately 26,941 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.44 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks EMISAT in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EMISAT orbits at an average altitude of 747 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 EMISAT’s average altitude, there are currently 366 active payloads and 1,921 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.5°, EMISAT passes over latitudes between 98.5°N and 98.5°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. India operates approximately 108 active satellites in total, of which 7 share a similar altitude band with EMISAT.