MERIDIAN-M 21L

MilitaryHEOMolniyaGTORussia

MERIDIAN-M 21L is a military satellite, as listed in Jonathan McDowell's GCAT catalogue, with ownership listed as Russia in CelesTrak's catalogue, currently in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 1,336 km to 39,035 km. It completes one orbit of Earth roughly every 718 minutes at an inclination of 62.8°. It was launched in 2026. Track its live position and see when it passes over your location on azmth.

Orbital data

NORAD ID: 68571
COSPAR ID: 2026-071A
Type: Military
Orbit: HEO
Perigee (lowest): 1,336 km
Apogee (highest): 39,035 km
Inclination: 62.84°
Orbital period: 718 min
Launch year: 2026
Owner (CelesTrak): Russia

Orbital data updated: 2026-10-18 · from CelesTrak, refreshed every 2 hours.

Who operates it

RussiaLIVEActive

Communications

GCAT lists it as Meridian-M No. 21L.

Official description

“... a combat crew of the Space Forces of the Aerospace Forces successfully launched a medium-class Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket with a spacecraft in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defence.”

Russian Ministry of Defence, Telegram, 3 Apr 2026

azmth's translation · Show original

«...боевым расчетом космических войск Воздушно-космических сил успешно осуществлен пуск ракеты-носителя среднего класса «Союз-2.1а» с космическим аппаратом в интересах Минобороны России.»

It names no satellite or purpose.

Independent assessment

GCAT classes it as a military satellite for communications and records it as active (17 Oct 2026).

Data: GCAT · CC BY 4.0 Class, mission and status adapted from GCAT by Jonathan McDowell, CC BY 4.0, data update 17 Oct 2026.

Military satellites, counted and explained →

About HEO orbit

Highly Elliptical Orbit. An elongated orbit that swings close to Earth at perigee and far away at apogee. Includes Molniya and Tundra orbits used for high-latitude coverage.