OBJECT B

OBJECT B (NORAD ID 61180) is a space object catalogued under Russia (CIS), launched on 2024-09-17 from PKMTR on the OO MKA-1/2 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 343 km and 344 km with an inclination of 96.7°. It travels at approximately 27,737 km/h (7.70 km/s), completing one full orbit every 91 minutes — that’s roughly 15.75 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 months to ~1 year. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT B orbits at an average altitude of 344 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 B’s average altitude, there are currently 1,141 active payloads and 39 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1036, STARLINK-1043, STARLINK-1048. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 6.5% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 96.7°, OBJECT B passes over latitudes between 96.7°N and 96.7°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 18 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT B.