OBJECT A

OBJECT A (NORAD ID 69572) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2026-06-17 from Wenchang, China on the WHDW 22 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 1,019 km and 1,020 km with an inclination of 50.0°. It travels at approximately 26,438 km/h (7.34 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.65 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT A orbits at an average altitude of 1,020 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 OBJECT A’s average altitude, there are currently 357 active payloads and 745 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 50.0°, OBJECT A passes over latitudes between 50.0°N and 50.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. China operates approximately 1,249 active satellites in total, of which 192 share a similar altitude band with OBJECT A.