CS2

CS2 is an active satellite operated by Defense Innovation Unit/Cesium Astro (United States), launched on 2021-09-27 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the Landsat 9 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 443 km and 457 km with an inclination of 97.4°. It travels at approximately 27,520 km/h (7.64 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.39 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks CS2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CS2 orbits at an average altitude of 450 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 CS2’s average altitude, there are currently 9,936 active payloads and 145 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 53.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.4°, CS2 passes over latitudes between 97.4°N and 97.4°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. United States operates approximately 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 9,545 share a similar altitude band with CS2.