BEIDOU 3 M26

BEIDOU 3 M26 is an active satellite operated by China National Space Administration (China), launched on 2023-12-26 from Xichang, China. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 21,520 km and 21,537 km with an inclination of 55.8°. It travels at approximately 13,607 km/h (3.78 km/s), completing one full orbit every 12 hours 53 minutes — that’s roughly 1.86 orbits per day. It is part of the Beidou constellation group. Orbital Radar tracks BEIDOU 3 M26 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BEIDOU 3 M26 orbits at an average altitude of 21,529 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of BEIDOU 3 M26’s average altitude, there are currently 38 active payloads and 9 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 55.8°, BEIDOU 3 M26 passes over latitudes between 55.8°N and 55.8°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 35 share a similar altitude band with BEIDOU 3 M26.