SAOCOM 1-B

About This Satellite

SAOCOM 1B launched on August 30, 2020 to join Argentina's radar Earth-observation constellation. It supports applications such as soil-moisture mapping and environmental emergencies. Reaching orbit was only the beginning: the spacecraft still needed deployment, orbit adjustment, and instrument calibration before its measurements could become reliable user products.

Twenty-seven maneuvers placed the spacecraft in its working orbit

CONAE reported in December 2020 that SAOCOM 1B had completed 27 propulsion maneuvers over roughly two months to reach an altitude near 620-622 km. It initially flew about 15 km below the constellation. The maneuver campaign coordinated orbit placement and timing with the other spacecraft, rather than simply raising the altitude to an isolated target value.

Correct orbital placement did not complete sensor calibration

The December announcement described final calibration as the next step, involving acquisitions in different radar configurations. Its projected service dates were plans at that time, not proof that all products were already released. Orbit commissioning and measurement quality are separate milestones.

Mission reference: CONAE: SAOCOM 1B orbit raising and final radar calibration. Editorial review: 2026-09-14.

A seven-panel antenna had to unfold before radar operations

CONAE's September 2020 account reports a successful seven-and-a-half-hour deployment of the 35-square-metre radar antenna. Three folded panels on each side opened around the central panel, with commands and checks organized around ground contacts. Science mode was reached within twenty hours, but further commissioning remained. Entering a mode in which the radar could be used was not equivalent to finishing every calibration or releasing an operational data catalog.

Reference: CONAE: SAOCOM 1B antenna deployment and early science-mode entry.

Repeat geometry and available imaging opportunities are different

In its August 2021 review, CONAE describes repeated imaging, checking, and sensor adjustment across many configurations. A sixteen-day repeat for one spacecraft helped reproduce the same observing geometry; the two-spacecraft constellation shortened that repeat interval. More frequent opportunities depended on imaging mode. A nominal revisit number therefore does not promise an identical, ready-to-download image of every location at that interval.

Reference: CONAE: SAOCOM 1B first-year calibration and constellation revisit distinctions.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-05. Estimated altitude ranges from 621 km at perigee to 624 km at apogee, a difference of 2 km. The orbital period is about 97.2 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00015 indicates a nearly circular path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.00 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.

Saved build snapshot. If a valid TLE is retrieved, this explanation and the orbit panel update together. Otherwise this dated snapshot is retained.

Ground track is not sensor coverage

An inclination of 97.89 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 82.1 degrees north and south. This is a retrograde orbit, moving against the direction of Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.

Accuracy and missing information

The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.

Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 46265 · GCAT: S46265 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.

Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)

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