GLOBAL-12

GLOBAL-12 is an active satellite operated by BlackSky Global (United States), launched on 2021-12-02 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the Starlink Group 4-3 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 389 km and 393 km with an inclination of 53.2°. It travels at approximately 27,640 km/h (7.68 km/s), completing one full orbit every 92 minutes — that’s roughly 15.59 orbits per day. 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 months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks GLOBAL-12 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GLOBAL-12 orbits at an average altitude of 391 km in the lower reaches of Low Earth Orbit, where atmospheric drag is significant and orbital lifetimes are measured in months to a few years. This is the busiest corridor in space — home to crewed spacecraft, rapid-revisit imaging satellites and the densest part of the Starlink constellation. Within ±50 km of GLOBAL-12’s average altitude, there are currently 1,331 active payloads and 78 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 7.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 53.2°, GLOBAL-12 passes over latitudes between 53.2°N and 53.2°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. United States operates approximately 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 1,183 share a similar altitude band with GLOBAL-12.