OBJECT E

OBJECT E (NORAD ID 49047) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2021-07-04 from Jiuquan, China on the FY-3E launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 794 km and 803 km with an inclination of 98.7°. It travels at approximately 26,843 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.28 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 ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT E in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT E orbits at an average altitude of 799 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 OBJECT E’s average altitude, there are currently 438 active payloads and 2,254 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 98.7°, OBJECT E passes over latitudes between 98.7°N and 98.7°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 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 100 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT E.