QIANFAN-156

QIANFAN-156 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2026-05-17 from Wenchang, China on the Qianfan 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 902 km and 934 km with an inclination of 89.0°. It travels at approximately 26,622 km/h (7.39 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.95 orbits per day. It is part of the Qianfan constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks QIANFAN-156 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

QIANFAN-156 orbits at an average altitude of 918 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-156’s average altitude, there are currently 229 active payloads and 1,173 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 89.0°, QIANFAN-156 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 1,221 active satellites in total, of which 85 share a similar altitude band with QIANFAN-156.