Communications
ORBCOMM FM06
Commercial M2M Messaging (First-Gen) · ORBCOMM
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One of ORBCOMM's original first-generation satellites, part of the world's first commercial machine-to-machine (M2M) satellite messaging network. Launched in 1998, ORBCOMM FM06 uses VHF radio to relay short data bursts from remote sensors, tracking devices, and industrial equipment — trailer tracking for trucking fleets, tank monitoring for oil and gas, and environmental sensors in areas with no cellular coverage. ORBCOMM pioneered the entire commercial satellite IoT category years before the term existed.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 460–462 mi (740–743 km)
- Inclination
- 45.0°
- One orbit
- 99.5 minutes14.5 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 25118
- Int’l designator
- 1997-084G
- Launched
- 1997
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More communications
- ORBCOMM FM108Commercial M2M Messaging + AIS (Second-Gen OG2)
- ORBCOMM FM109Commercial M2M Messaging + AIS (Second-Gen OG2)
- ORBCOMM FM110Commercial M2M Messaging + AIS (Second-Gen OG2)
- ORBCOMM FM112Commercial M2M Messaging + AIS (Second-Gen OG2)
- ORBCOMM FM113Commercial M2M Messaging + AIS (Second-Gen OG2)
- ORBCOMM FM116Commercial M2M Messaging + AIS (Second-Gen OG2)