OBJECT D

OBJECT D (NORAD ID 49318) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2021-10-14 from Taiyuan, China on the CHASE launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 885 km and 901 km with an inclination of 97.5°. It travels at approximately 26,668 km/h (7.41 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 14.00 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 ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT D in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT D orbits at an average altitude of 893 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 D’s average altitude, there are currently 186 active payloads and 1,470 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 97.5°, OBJECT D passes over latitudes between 97.5°N and 97.5°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 93 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT D.