Home / Satellites and debris by country
Live count
How many satellites and how much debris does Italy have in orbit?
Numbers last changed (orbit data of , catalogue of ). CelesTrak's catalogue records 95 objects in Earth orbit for Italy: 81 active satellites, 13 inactive satellites, 1 rocket body and 0 pieces of debris.
What this means
The catalogue records these objects under the owner "Italy" (code IT). That ranks 12th of 106 owners, after Germany (98) and ahead of Globalstar (85). No debris in Earth orbit is recorded under this owner.
The 2-hourly orbit data of 7 October 2026, 08:20 UTC has 78 active (3 fewer; why they differ).
By kind
| Kind | Objects | Share of this owner (percent) | Share of every owner's (percent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active satellites | 81 | 85.3 | 0.5 |
| Inactive satellites | 13 | 13.7 | 0.4 |
| Rocket bodies | 1 | 1.1 | under 0.1 |
| Debris | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| In Earth orbit | 95 | 100.0 | 0.3 |
Orbits
The largest group of these objects is in low Earth orbit (84). (groups from perigee and apogee.)
| Orbit group | Satellites | Rocket bodies | Debris | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Earth orbit (below 2,000 km) | 84 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medium Earth orbit (2,000 to 35,585 km) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Geostationary belt (35,586 to 35,986 km) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
When they were launched
More of these objects were launched in the 2020s than in any other decade (69, 69 of them satellites). 18 were launched in 2026. The oldest dates from 1977.
| Launch decade | Satellites | Rocket bodies, debris and unknown |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1 | 0 |
| 1990s | 5 | 1 |
| 2000s | 9 | 0 |
| 2010s | 10 | 0 |
| 2020s | 69 | 0 |
Notable objects
- Oldest still in orbit: SIRIO (catalogue number 10294, 1977-080A, satellite), launched .
- Most recent launch: ION SCV-023 (catalogue number 69876, 2026-156H, satellite), launched .
- Largest radar cross-section: SICRAL 1 (catalogue number 26694, 2001-005A, satellite), 26.4 square metres.
- Highest apogee: ITALSAT 1 (catalogue number 21055, 1991-003A, satellite), 35,912 km at its highest point.
Object details
| Catalogue number | Name | International designator | Status | Launch date | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (degrees) | Radar cross-section (square metres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69876 | ION SCV-023 | 2026-156H | Operational | 588 | 596 | 97.6 | - | |
| 68987 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-15 | 2026-100H | Operational | 589 | 594 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68986 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-14 | 2026-100G | Operational | 590 | 596 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68985 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-13 | 2026-100F | Operational | 590 | 595 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68984 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-12 | 2026-100E | Operational | 592 | 599 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68983 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-11 | 2026-100D | Operational | 591 | 598 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68982 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-10 | 2026-100C | Operational | 590 | 597 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68981 | IRIDE-MS2-HEO-7 | 2026-100B | Operational | 590 | 598 | 97.7 | - | |
| 68462 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-15 | 2026-067AY | Operational | 504 | 509 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68461 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-12 | 2026-067AX | Operational | 504 | 512 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68453 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-11 | 2026-067AP | Operational | 503 | 508 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68452 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-16 | 2026-067AN | Operational | 504 | 512 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68451 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-10 | 2026-067AM | Operational | 504 | 507 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68450 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-13 | 2026-067AL | Operational | 504 | 508 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68449 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-9 | 2026-067AK | Operational | 504 | 512 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68447 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-14 | 2026-067AH | Operational | 503 | 507 | 97.5 | - | |
| 68435 | ION SCV-019 (ASTOUNDING ALEXANDRA) | 2026-067V | Operational | 498 | 512 | 97.5 | - | |
| 67304 | CSG-3 | 2026-001A | Operational | 622 | 624 | 97.9 | - | |
| 67483 | ION SCV-021 | 2025-276ED | Operational | 564 | 581 | 97.5 | - | |
| 66702 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-8 | 2025-276AN | Operational | 499 | 505 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66701 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-7 | 2025-276AM | Operational | 499 | 505 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66700 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-6 | 2025-276AL | Operational | 498 | 500 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66699 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-5 | 2025-276AK | Operational | 499 | 504 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66698 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-4 | 2025-276AJ | Operational | 501 | 506 | 97.4 | - | |
| 66697 | IRIDE-MS1-EAGLET 2-3 | 2025-276AH | Operational | 499 | 500 | 97.4 | - |
| Catalogue number | Name | International designator | Launch date | Perigee (km) | Apogee (km) | Inclination (degrees) | Radar cross-section (square metres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22197 | LAGEOS 2 AKM (MAGE 1S) | 1992-070E | 5,615 | 5,950 | 52.6 | 3.82 |
These tables show 26 of the 95 objects; 74 have no radar cross-section and come last in the size order. A dash: no value in the catalogue. The button below (it needs JavaScript) loads the full list of this data version as a table to filter and page through.
Questions
How many satellites does Italy have in orbit?
94 satellites in Earth orbit as of 7 October 2026, 04:04 UTC: 81 active and 13 inactive, as the catalogue records the owner "Italy".
How much space debris does Italy have?
None in the catalogue: no piece of debris in Earth orbit is recorded under "Italy", though 1 rocket body is.
How many objects of Italy re-entered in the last year?
13 in the 365 days to 7 October 2026, of 49 that have re-entered since the first launch. 28 launched in those 365 days are still in orbit.
More owners
Nearest in the ranking: ESA (118), Germany (98), Globalstar (85), Canada (81). Every owner, searchable; active satellites only: satellites by country and the satellite count.
Sources
CelesTrak SATCAT, CelesTrak SATCAT format, CelesTrak SATCAT source codes, CelesTrak SATCAT status codes, CelesTrak current GP data (the active list), NASA Orbital Debris Program Office, frequently asked questions.