SMILE

SMILE is an active satellite operated by ESA (European Space Agency), launched on 2026-05-19 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou on the SMILE launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 971 km and 8,243 km with an inclination of 70.0°. It travels at approximately 21,693 km/h (6.03 km/s), completing one full orbit every 3 hours 11 minutes — that’s roughly 0.48 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.3312 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks SMILE in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SMILE orbits at an average altitude of 4,607 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. With an inclination of 70.0°, SMILE passes over latitudes between 70.0°N and 70.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. ESA (European Space Agency) operates approximately 94 active satellites in total.