KUIPER-00489

KUIPER-00489 is an active satellite operated by Amazon (United States), launched on 2026-04-28 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the LA-06 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 608 km and 623 km with an inclination of 51.9°. It travels at approximately 27,192 km/h (7.55 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.84 orbits per day. It is part of the Kuiper constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks KUIPER-00489 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

KUIPER-00489 orbits at an average altitude of 616 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 KUIPER-00489’s average altitude, there are currently 1,655 active payloads and 737 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3090, STARLINK-3077. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 9.3% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 51.9°, KUIPER-00489 passes over latitudes between 51.9°N and 51.9°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. United States operates approximately 12,671 active satellites in total, of which 1,140 share a similar altitude band with KUIPER-00489.