AUREOLE 3

AUREOLE 3 is an active satellite operated by France, launched on 1981-09-21 from PKMTR. With over 45 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 372 km and 1,025 km with an inclination of 82.5°. It travels at approximately 27,032 km/h (7.51 km/s), completing one full orbit every 99 minutes — that’s roughly 14.58 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks AUREOLE 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AUREOLE 3 orbits in the most densely populated region of Low Earth Orbit, between roughly 300 and 600 km altitude. This band is home to the International Space Station, most Earth observation satellites, and the bulk of the Starlink constellation. Objects here experience measurable atmospheric drag, which gradually lowers their orbit over months to years and eventually causes re-entry. The relatively short signal path makes this altitude ideal for low-latency communications and high-resolution imaging.