TYVAK-0173

TYVAK-0173 is an active satellite operated by Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems, Inc. (Australia), launched on 2021-06-30 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 616 km and 630 km with an inclination of 96.0°. It travels at approximately 27,177 km/h (7.55 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.82 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 ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks TYVAK-0173 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TYVAK-0173 orbits at an average altitude of 623 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 TYVAK-0173’s average altitude, there are currently 833 active payloads and 791 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3055, STARLINK-3109. With an inclination of 96.0°, TYVAK-0173 passes over latitudes between 96.0°N and 96.0°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. Australia operates approximately 41 active satellites in total, of which 11 share a similar altitude band with TYVAK-0173.