OBJECT C

OBJECT C (NORAD ID 53446) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2022-08-10 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China on the Jilin-1 launch. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as Jilin-1 GaoFen 03D-42, attributed to Chang Guang. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 315 km and 317 km with an inclination of 97.6°. It travels at approximately 27,794 km/h (7.72 km/s), completing one full orbit every 91 minutes — that’s roughly 15.85 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 months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT C in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT C orbits at an average altitude of 316 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 C’s average altitude, there are currently 998 active payloads and 32 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1020, STARLINK-1036, STARLINK-1043. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 5.3% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.6°, OBJECT C 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 8 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT C.