GAOFEN 3 02

GAOFEN 3 02 is an active satellite operated by China's Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Environmental Protection, and Ministry of Agriculture (China), launched on 2021-11-22 from Jiuquan, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 749 km and 753 km with an inclination of 98.4°. It travels at approximately 26,932 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.42 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 GAOFEN 3 02 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GAOFEN 3 02 orbits at an average altitude of 751 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 GAOFEN 3 02’s average altitude, there are currently 357 active payloads and 1,957 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 98.4°, GAOFEN 3 02 passes over latitudes between 98.4°N and 98.4°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 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 51 share a similar altitude band with GAOFEN 3 02.