NGRST

NGRST is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2026-08-30 from Vandenberg SFB, California on the NGRST launch. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 182 km and 183 km with an inclination of 33.6°. It travels at approximately 28,076 km/h (7.80 km/s), completing one full orbit every 88 minutes — that’s roughly 16.34 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is days to weeks — very low orbit, rapid decay. Orbital Radar tracks NGRST in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NGRST orbits at an average altitude of 183 km in the lower reaches of Low Earth Orbit, where atmospheric drag is significant and orbital lifetimes are measured in months to a few years. This is the busiest corridor in space — home to crewed spacecraft, rapid-revisit imaging satellites and the densest part of the Starlink constellation. Within ±50 km of NGRST’s average altitude, there are currently 20 active payloads and 4 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1279, STARLINK-1301, STARLINK-1640. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 33.6°, NGRST passes over latitudes between 33.6°N and 33.6°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 12,858 active satellites in total, of which 16 share a similar altitude band with NGRST.