SHIYAN 13 (SY-13)

SHIYAN 13 (SY-13) is an active satellite operated by China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) (China), launched on 2022-01-17 from Taiyuan, China. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 389 km and 1,259 km with an inclination of 98.5°. It travels at approximately 26,795 km/h (7.44 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.20 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 SHIYAN 13 (SY-13) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SHIYAN 13 (SY-13) orbits at an average altitude of 824 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 SHIYAN 13 (SY-13)’s average altitude, there are currently 383 active payloads and 2,255 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 98.5°, SHIYAN 13 (SY-13) passes over latitudes between 98.5°N and 98.5°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 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 119 share a similar altitude band with SHIYAN 13 (SY-13).