OPS 8737

OPS 8737 is an active satellite operated by NRO / NRL (United States), launched on 1984-02-05 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the PARCAE 7 launch. With over 42 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 398 km and 1,276 km with an inclination of 63.3°. It travels at approximately 26,771 km/h (7.44 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.17 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks OPS 8737 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 8737 orbits at an average altitude of 837 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 OPS 8737’s average altitude, there are currently 288 active payloads and 2,410 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 63.3°, OPS 8737 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 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 72 share a similar altitude band with OPS 8737.