PETREL

PETREL is an active satellite operated by Japan, launched on 2026-06-12 from TNSTA on the VEP-5 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 559 km and 580 km with an inclination of 97.7°. It travels at approximately 27,282 km/h (7.58 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.99 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks PETREL in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

PETREL orbits at an average altitude of 570 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of PETREL’s average altitude, there are currently 2,160 active payloads and 481 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-1522, STARLINK-2112. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 12.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.7°, PETREL passes over latitudes between 97.7°N and 97.7°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. Japan operates approximately 200 active satellites in total, of which 51 share a similar altitude band with PETREL.