HOKUSHIN1

HOKUSHIN1 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1998-11-20 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on the 77KM No. 17501 launch. With over 28 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 407 km and 414 km with an inclination of 51.6°. It travels at approximately 27,600 km/h (7.67 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.52 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 ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks HOKUSHIN1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

HOKUSHIN1 orbits at an average altitude of 411 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of HOKUSHIN1’s average altitude, there are currently 1,047 active payloads and 102 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012, STARLINK-1017. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 5.9% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 51.6°, HOKUSHIN1 passes over latitudes between 51.6°N and 51.6°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,303 active satellites in total, of which 32 share a similar altitude band with HOKUSHIN1.