CENTISPACE-2 S8

CENTISPACE-2 S8 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2026-03-22 from YSLA on the Weili Kongjian 02 zu 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 728 km and 743 km with an inclination of 55.0°. It travels at approximately 26,961 km/h (7.49 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.46 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks CENTISPACE-2 S8 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CENTISPACE-2 S8 orbits at an average altitude of 736 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 CENTISPACE-2 S8’s average altitude, there are currently 366 active payloads and 1,875 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, ONEWEB-0179. With an inclination of 55.0°, CENTISPACE-2 S8 passes over latitudes between 55.0°N and 55.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. China operates approximately 1,248 active satellites in total, of which 52 share a similar altitude band with CENTISPACE-2 S8.