QIANFAN-163

QIANFAN-163 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 2026-06-01 from Jiuquan, 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 1,021 km and 1,052 km with an inclination of 89.0°. It travels at approximately 26,408 km/h (7.34 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.60 orbits per day. It is part of the Qianfan constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks QIANFAN-163 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

QIANFAN-163 orbits at an average altitude of 1,037 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-163’s average altitude, there are currently 186 active payloads and 526 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 89.0°, QIANFAN-163 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 117 share a similar altitude band with QIANFAN-163.