QIANFAN-225

QIANFAN-225 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2026-07-05 from Wenchang, China on the Qianfan Jigui 15 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 993 km and 1,045 km with an inclination of 89.0°. It travels at approximately 26,439 km/h (7.34 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.63 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-225 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

QIANFAN-225 orbits at an average altitude of 1,019 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-225’s average altitude, there are currently 369 active payloads and 749 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 89.0°, QIANFAN-225 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 1,273 active satellites in total, of which 204 share a similar altitude band with QIANFAN-225.