OBJECT D

OBJECT D (NORAD ID 100128) is a space object catalogued under United States, launched on 2026-07-21 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the MRV/MEP launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. Independent catalogue analysis identifies this object as MEP-3, attributed to Space Logistics. It orbits in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) at altitudes between 1,376 km and 46,921 km with an inclination of 23.2°. It travels at approximately 13,010 km/h (3.61 km/s), completing one full orbit every 14 hours 45 minutes — that’s roughly 1.63 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.7462 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks OBJECT D in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OBJECT D follows a Highly Elliptical Orbit, sweeping between 1,376 km (perigee) and 46,921 km (apogee). It spends most of its 14 hours 45 minutes orbital period near apogee, effectively loitering over a region of interest before rapidly sweeping through perigee — a profile used for high-latitude communications (Molniya orbits), early-warning systems and magnetospheric science. With an inclination of 23.2°, OBJECT D passes over latitudes between 23.2°N and 23.2°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. United States operates approximately 13,342 active satellites in total.