OBJECT AF

OBJECT AF (NORAD ID 67277) is a space object catalogued under Unknown, launched on 2025-12-28 from Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia on the Soyuz Rideshare 16 launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as Grifon-4, attributed to Novosibirsk SU. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 485 km and 505 km with an inclination of 97.4°. It travels at approximately 27,430 km/h (7.62 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.24 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT AF in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT AF orbits at an average altitude of 495 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 AF’s average altitude, there are currently 10,260 active payloads and 217 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 54.8% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.4°, OBJECT AF passes over latitudes between 97.4°N and 97.4°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.