OBJECT F

OBJECT F (NORAD ID 65549) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2025-09-06 from Taiyuan, China on the Yaogan 40-03 launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 631 km and 727 km with an inclination of 86.0°. It travels at approximately 27,069 km/h (7.52 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.64 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT F in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT F orbits at an average altitude of 679 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of OBJECT F’s average altitude, there are currently 519 active payloads and 1,259 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, LANDSAT 9. With an inclination of 86.0°, OBJECT F passes over latitudes between 86.0°N and 86.0°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. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total, of which 72 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT F.