Overview
Most Sun-Synchronous satellites are launched for commercial use (57.7%) and for the purpose of earth observation (56.4%).
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Insights from the Sun-Synchronous satellite dataset
Which year saw the most Sun-Synchronous satellites launched?
Who operates or owns the most Sun-Synchronous satellites?
Which country operates or owns the most Sun-Synchronous satellites?
Which rocket has delivered the most Sun-Synchronous satellites to space?
Which launch site has launched the most Sun-Synchronous satellites to space?
Apogee, Perigee & Period
Satellite Mass
Highlights on some of the government satellites:
Heaviest satellite launched by Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems, Inc. into space at 12 kg
Designed for technology demonstration, Tyvak 0173 is a commercial satellite operated by Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems, Inc. (USA).
Delivered via Falcon 9 (launch vehicle) from Cape Canaveral, it was launched into space on 30 June 2021 and orbits the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite. Tyvak 0173 was constructed by Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems (USA).
Tyvak 0173 has a launch mass of 12 kg and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2021-059P and NORAD ID 48892.
With an orbital eccentricity of 1.01E-03, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 521km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 535km. It takes 95 minutes to orbit the Earth at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
SMAP.
Designed for earth observation (Earth Science), SMAP is a government satellite operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (USA).
Delivered via Delta 2 (launch vehicle) from Vandenberg AFB, it was launched into space on 31 January 2015 and orbits the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite. SMAP was constructed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA) (USA).
SMAP is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 3 years. It orbits around the Earth with the COSPAR ID 2015-003A and NORAD ID 40376.
With an orbital eccentricity of 1.85E-03, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 660km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 686km. It takes 98 minutes to orbit the Earth at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
IRIS.
A government satellite, IRIS is operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of USA for the purpose of space science.
Constructed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center (ATC) (USA), it was launched into space using L1011 as the launch vehicle from Vandenberg AFB on 28 June 2013. IRIS orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
With a launch mass of 236kg and a dry mass of 678kg, IRIS is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 2 years. It orbits around the Earth with the COSPAR ID 2013-033A and NORAD ID 39197.
Using its self-produced usable power of 50 watts, IRIS orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
The satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 620km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 664km. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 3.14E-03 and it takes 98 minutes to orbit the Earth.
Heaviest satellite launched by Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (CSIC) into space at 1,600 kg
IGS Optical 6 is a government satellite operated by Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Center (CSIC) (Japan) for the purpose of earth observation (Optical Imaging).
Constructed by Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), it was launched into space on 26 February 2018 using H2A as the launch vehicle from Tanegashima Space Center. IGS Optical 6 orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
With a launch mass of 1,600kg, IGS Optical 6 is designed to operate in space for a lifetime of 5 years. It orbits around the Earth with the COSPAR ID 2018-021A and NORAD ID 43223.
Taking 95 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 485km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 499km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 1.02E-03 and it orbits at an inclination of 97 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Heaviest satellite launched by USA/Argentina into space at 12 kg
Designed for communications and maritime tracking (Automatic Identification System (AIS)), AprizeSat 3 is a commercial satellite operated by Aprize Satellite, Argentina (USA/Argentina).
Constructed by SpaceQuest (USA), it was launched into space on 29 July 2009 using Dnepr as the launch vehicle from Baikonur Cosmodrome. AprizeSat 3 orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
AprizeSat 3 has a launch mass of 12 kg (dry mass at 12 kg) and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2009-041F and NORAD ID 35686.
With an orbital eccentricity of 7.38E-03, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 559km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 662km. It takes 97 minutes to orbit the Earth at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Designed for earth observation (Optical Imaging), Pleiades Neo 3 is a commercial satellite operated by Airbus Defense and Space (France).
Constructed by Airbus Defense and Space (France), it was launched into space on 29 April 2021 using Vega as the launch vehicle from Guiana Space Center. Pleiades Neo 3 orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
Designed with an operational lifetime of 10 years, Pleiades Neo 3 has a launch mass of 920 kg and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2021-034A and NORAD ID 48268.
Taking 97 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 623km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 626km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 2.14E-04 and it orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Designed for earth observation (Optical Imaging), Dove-4s-1 is a commercial satellite operated by Planet Labs, Inc. (USA).
Delivered via Falcon 9 (launch vehicle) from Cape Canaveral, it was launched into space on 24 January 2021 and orbits the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite. Dove-4s-1 was constructed by Planet Labs, Inc. (USA).
Designed with an operational lifetime of 3 years, Dove-4s-1 has a launch mass of 4 kg and navigates with the COSPAR ID 2021-006ED and NORAD ID 47543.
Taking 95 minutes to orbit the Earth, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 519km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 535km. The eccentricity of the orbit is 1.16E-03 and it orbits at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
A commercial satellite, Beijing-3 is operated by 21st Century Aerospace Technology (21AT) of China for the purpose of earth observation (Optical Imaging).
Constructed by Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CASC) (China), it was launched into space using Long March 2D as the launch vehicle from Taiyuan Launch Center on 11 June 2021. Beijing-3 orbits around the Earth as a sun-synchronous LEO satellite.
Beijing-3 navigates with the COSPAR ID 2021-050A and NORAD ID 48840.
With an orbital eccentricity of 1.09E-03, the satellite's perigee, which is the point of the orbit closest to the Earth's center of mass, is 487km while its apogee, which is the point of the orbit farthest from the Earth's center of mass, is 502km. It takes 95 minutes to orbit the Earth at an inclination of 98 degrees to the equatorial plane of the Earth.
Get more insights from these satellite datasets
Full datasets: All satellites by launch date | The Heaviest Satellites That Are Launched to Space
By Use Type: Civil-use satellites | Commercial satellites | Government satellites | Military satellites
By Country: USA | UK | France | Germany | Japan | China | Russia | Australia | Canada
By Orbit Class/Type: LEO satellites | MEO satellites | GEO satellites | Elliptical orbit | Polar orbit | Equatorial orbit | Non-polar inclined orbit | Sun-synchronous orbit | Molniya orbit
By Operators: SpaceX | EUTELSAT | SES | European Space Agency (ESA) | Planet Labs | Iridium | Spire Global | OneWeb | Swarm Technologies | NASA - Dataset of Satellites Launched (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) | Canadian Space Agency (CSA) - Dataset of Satellites Launched
By Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 | Ariane 5 | Ariane 5 ECA | Delta 2 | Dnepr | Electron | Falcon Heavy | Long March 2C | Long March 2D | Long March 3B | Pegasus | Proton | Proton M | PSLV | Rokot | Soyuz | Soyuz-2.1b | Vega
By Launch Vehicle: Cape Canaveral | Baikonur Cosmodrome | Guiana Space Center | International Space Station | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | Plesetsk Cosmodrome | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 | Satish Dhawan Space Centre | Taiyuan Launch Center | Vandenberg AFB | Xichang Satellite Launch Center | Boeing Satellite Systems | Airbus Defense and Space | EADS Astrium | Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems | Space Systems/Loral | Surrey Satellite Technology | Technical University Berlin | Thales Alenia Space
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