Science
BIRKELAND
Norwegian Space Weather Technology Demonstrator · Norwegian Commercial/University Operator
Right now
LiveIt moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.
- Over
- —
- Altitude
- —
- Speed
- —
Birkeland, a Norwegian technology demonstration satellite named after physicist Kristian Birkeland, who first theorized that the aurora borealis is caused by charged particles from the Sun following Earth's magnetic field lines — a hypothesis confirmed decades later by satellite measurements. The satellite tests space weather and auroral monitoring instruments.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 273–280 mi (440–451 km)
- Inclination
- 97.3°
- One orbit
- 93.3 minutes15.4 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 55015
- Int’l designator
- 2023-001G
- Launched
- 2023
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More science
- BISONSATTribal College University CubeSat (Founding Mission)
- BNU-1 (JINGSHI 1)Chinese University Earth Observation Satellite
- BRITE-AustriaStellar Photometry
- BRITE-HeweliuszStellar Photometry
- BRITE-TorontoStellar Photometry
- BRO-11German Technology Demonstrator