OBJECT AQ

OBJECT AQ (NORAD ID 57204) is a space object catalogued under Unknown, launched on 2023-06-27 from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia on the Soyuz Rideshare 11 launch. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as SITRO-AIS-12, attributed to Sitronics. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 437 km and 446 km with an inclination of 97.5°. It travels at approximately 27,537 km/h (7.65 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.42 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 AQ in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT AQ orbits at an average altitude of 442 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 AQ’s average altitude, there are currently 9,953 active payloads and 133 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 53.2% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.5°, OBJECT AQ passes over latitudes between 97.5°N and 97.5°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.