QIANFAN-194

QIANFAN-194 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2026-06-05 from Wenchang, China on the Qianfan Jigui 12 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 994 km and 1,027 km with an inclination of 89.0°. It travels at approximately 26,454 km/h (7.35 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.66 orbits per day. It is part of the Qianfan constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks QIANFAN-194 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

QIANFAN-194 orbits at an average altitude of 1,011 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of QIANFAN-194’s average altitude, there are currently 241 active payloads and 806 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 89.0°, QIANFAN-194 passes over latitudes between 89.0°N and 89.0°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. China operates approximately 1,247 active satellites in total, of which 70 share a similar altitude band with QIANFAN-194.