PAYLOAD B

PAYLOAD B is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2021-08-24 from Jiuquan, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 848 km and 874 km with an inclination of 86.4°. It travels at approximately 26,727 km/h (7.42 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.09 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks PAYLOAD B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

PAYLOAD B orbits at an average altitude of 861 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of PAYLOAD B’s average altitude, there are currently 251 active payloads and 1,909 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 86.4°, PAYLOAD B passes over latitudes between 86.4°N and 86.4°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 130 share a similar altitude band with PAYLOAD B.