METEOR M2-4

METEOR M2-4 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 2024-02-29 from Vostochny, Russia. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 812 km and 822 km with an inclination of 98.7°. It travels at approximately 26,808 km/h (7.45 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.22 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. 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 ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks METEOR M2-4 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

METEOR M2-4 orbits at an average altitude of 817 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 METEOR M2-4’s average altitude, there are currently 409 active payloads and 2,290 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 98.7°, METEOR M2-4 passes over latitudes between 98.7°N and 98.7°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. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 81 share a similar altitude band with METEOR M2-4.