PICO-01B009

PICO-01B009 is an active satellite operated by Italy, launched on 2023-11-11 from Vandenberg SFB, California on the Transporter-9 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 209 km and 226 km with an inclination of 97.4°. It travels at approximately 28,001 km/h (7.78 km/s), completing one full orbit every 89 minutes — that’s roughly 16.22 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is weeks to months. Orbital Radar tracks PICO-01B009 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

PICO-01B009 orbits at an average altitude of 218 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 PICO-01B009’s average altitude, there are currently 27 active payloads and 3 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1280, STARLINK-1646, STARLINK-1826. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.4°, PICO-01B009 passes over latitudes between 97.4°N and 97.4°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. Italy operates approximately 90 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with PICO-01B009.