OBJECT J

OBJECT J is an active satellite operated by Changguang WJ (China), launched on 2022-12-09 from Yellow Sea launch area (Haiyang), China on the Jilin-1 launch. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as Jilin-1 GaoFen 03D-50, attributed to Chang Guang. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 452 km and 458 km with an inclination of 97.7°. It travels at approximately 27,510 km/h (7.64 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.37 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT J in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT J orbits at an average altitude of 455 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 J’s average altitude, there are currently 10,918 active payloads and 160 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ISS (ZARYA), STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 55.6% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.7°, OBJECT J passes over latitudes between 97.7°N and 97.7°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 1,650 active satellites in total, of which 231 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT J.