OBJECT Q

OBJECT Q (NORAD ID 43772) is a space object catalogued under Unknown, launched on 2018-12-03 from Vandenberg SFB, California on the SSO-A launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 257 km and 273 km with an inclination of 97.4°. It travels at approximately 27,901 km/h (7.75 km/s), completing one full orbit every 90 minutes — that’s roughly 16.06 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 weeks to months. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT Q in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT Q orbits at an average altitude of 265 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 Q’s average altitude, there are currently 106 active payloads and 5 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1151, STARLINK-1143, STARLINK-1280. With an inclination of 97.4°, OBJECT Q passes over latitudes between 97.4°N and 97.4°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.