OBJECT A

OBJECT A (NORAD ID 56157) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2023-03-31 from Jiuquan, China on the Yaogan 34-04 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 1,039 km and 1,140 km with an inclination of 63.4°. It travels at approximately 26,314 km/h (7.31 km/s), completing one full orbit every 107 minutes — that’s roughly 13.45 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 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 1,090 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of OBJECT A’s average altitude, there are currently 181 active payloads and 390 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 63.4°, OBJECT A passes over latitudes between 63.4°N and 63.4°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 159 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT A.