OBJECT A

OBJECT A (NORAD ID 52153) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2022-03-30 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China on the Tianping-2A/2B/2C launch. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as Tianping-2A, attributed to CHFEN?. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 568 km and 581 km with an inclination of 97.6°. It travels at approximately 27,272 km/h (7.58 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.97 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT A orbits at an average altitude of 575 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 A’s average altitude, there are currently 1,449 active payloads and 557 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 7.7% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.6°, OBJECT A passes over latitudes between 97.6°N and 97.6°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 1,288 active satellites in total, of which 176 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT A.