STRIX-6

STRIX-6 is an active satellite operated by Japan, launched on 2026-03-20 from RLLC. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 555 km and 578 km with an inclination of 50.3°. It travels at approximately 27,288 km/h (7.58 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 15.00 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks STRIX-6 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

STRIX-6 orbits at an average altitude of 567 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 STRIX-6’s average altitude, there are currently 3,153 active payloads and 470 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1184, STARLINK-1276, ONEWEB-0050. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 18.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 50.3°, STRIX-6 passes over latitudes between 50.3°N and 50.3°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total, of which 38 share a similar altitude band with STRIX-6.