OBJECT BE

OBJECT BE (NORAD ID 69921) is a space object catalogued under Unknown, launched on 2026-07-07 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the Transporter-17 launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as MAVERIC, attributed to USC. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 587 km and 595 km with an inclination of 97.8°. It travels at approximately 27,240 km/h (7.57 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.92 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. 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT BE in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT BE orbits at an average altitude of 591 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 OBJECT BE’s average altitude, there are currently 1,547 active payloads and 666 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 8.3% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.8°, OBJECT BE passes over latitudes between 97.8°N and 97.8°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.