CUBEBUG 2

CUBEBUG 2 is an active satellite operated by Argentinian Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation/Radio Club Bariloche (Argentina), launched on 2013-11-21 from OREN on the Dnepr Rideshare 8 launch. After 13 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 546 km and 626 km with an inclination of 97.9°. It travels at approximately 27,250 km/h (7.57 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.94 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 ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks CUBEBUG 2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CUBEBUG 2 orbits at an average altitude of 586 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 CUBEBUG 2’s average altitude, there are currently 3,034 active payloads and 589 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 17.3% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.9°, CUBEBUG 2 passes over latitudes between 97.9°N and 97.9°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. Argentina operates approximately 34 active satellites in total, of which 6 share a similar altitude band with CUBEBUG 2.