GAOFEN 10R

GAOFEN 10R is an active satellite operated by China National Academy of Sciences (CNSAS) (China), launched on 2019-10-04 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China on the GaoFen 10 02 xing launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 614 km and 624 km with an inclination of 98.1°. It travels at approximately 27,185 km/h (7.55 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.83 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 ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks GAOFEN 10R in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GAOFEN 10R orbits at an average altitude of 619 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 GAOFEN 10R’s average altitude, there are currently 1,251 active payloads and 838 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3055, STARLINK-3109. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 6.6% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.1°, GAOFEN 10R passes over latitudes between 98.1°N and 98.1°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 1,341 active satellites in total, of which 132 share a similar altitude band with GAOFEN 10R.