NAPA-1

NAPA-1 is an active satellite operated by Thai Air Force (Thailand), launched on 2020-09-03 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana on the SSMS launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 181 km and 192 km with an inclination of 97.2°. It travels at approximately 28,067 km/h (7.80 km/s), completing one full orbit every 88 minutes — that’s roughly 16.49 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 days to weeks — very low orbit, rapid decay. Orbital Radar tracks NAPA-1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NAPA-1 orbits at an average altitude of 187 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 NAPA-1’s average altitude, there are currently 13 active payloads and 3 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1338, STARLINK-1327, STARLINK-1420. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.2°, NAPA-1 passes over latitudes between 97.2°N and 97.2°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. Thailand operates approximately 12 active satellites in total.