TIANQI 16

TIANQI 16 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2025-05-19 from YSLA. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 889 km and 905 km with an inclination of 45.0°. It travels at approximately 26,660 km/h (7.41 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.99 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks TIANQI 16 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TIANQI 16 orbits at an average altitude of 897 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of TIANQI 16’s average altitude, there are currently 210 active payloads and 1,407 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 45.0°, TIANQI 16 passes over latitudes between 45.0°N and 45.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. China operates approximately 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 97 share a similar altitude band with TIANQI 16.