OBJECT Y

OBJECT Y (NORAD ID 51846) is a space object catalogued under China, launched on 2022-02-27 from Wenchang, China on the Taijing 3/4, Jilin-1 launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 171 km and 190 km with an inclination of 97.3°. It travels at approximately 28,080 km/h (7.80 km/s), completing one full orbit every 88 minutes — that’s roughly 16.34 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 days to weeks — very low orbit, rapid decay. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT Y in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT Y orbits at an average altitude of 181 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 Y’s average altitude, there are currently 18 active payloads and 1 tracked debris or rocket body fragment — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1606, STARLINK-1665, STARLINK-1716. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.3°, OBJECT Y passes over latitudes between 97.3°N and 97.3°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 1,221 active satellites in total.