SSB

SSB is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1983-02-09 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 43 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 450 km and 1,489 km with an inclination of 63.3°. It travels at approximately 26,528 km/h (7.37 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.78 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks SSB in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SSB orbits at an average altitude of 970 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of SSB’s average altitude, there are currently 288 active payloads and 983 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 63.3°, SSB passes over latitudes between 63.3°N and 63.3°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 92 share a similar altitude band with SSB.