STARLINK-36494

STARLINK-36494 is an active satellite operated by SpaceX (United States), launched on 2026-01-04 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 481 km and 485 km with an inclination of 43.0°. It travels at approximately 27,454 km/h (7.63 km/s), completing one full orbit every 94 minutes — that’s roughly 15.28 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. It is part of the Starlink constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks STARLINK-36494 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

STARLINK-36494 orbits at an average altitude of 483 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of STARLINK-36494’s average altitude, there are currently 8,039 active payloads and 218 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 46.2% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 43.0°, STARLINK-36494 passes over latitudes between 43.0°N and 43.0°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. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 7,461 share a similar altitude band with STARLINK-36494.