ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN

ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2025-07-29 from Jiuquan, China on the Enshi Xidou Shanquan 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 433 km and 445 km with an inclination of 97.4°. It travels at approximately 27,542 km/h (7.65 km/s), completing one full orbit every 93 minutes — that’s roughly 15.42 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. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~1–3 years. Orbital Radar tracks ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN orbits at an average altitude of 439 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 ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN’s average altitude, there are currently 7,743 active payloads and 150 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1008, STARLINK-1012, STARLINK-1017. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 44.3% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 97.4°, ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN 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. China operates approximately 1,221 active satellites in total, of which 81 share a similar altitude band with ENSHI XIDA SHANQUAN.