CCE 1 (AMPTE)

CCE 1 (AMPTE) is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1984-08-16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 42 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) at altitudes between 1,154 km and 49,628 km with an inclination of 3.5°. It travels at approximately 12,753 km/h (3.54 km/s), completing one full orbit every 15 hours 39 minutes — that’s roughly 1.53 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.7631 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks CCE 1 (AMPTE) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CCE 1 (AMPTE) follows a Highly Elliptical Orbit, sweeping between 1,154 km (perigee) and 49,628 km (apogee). It spends most of its 15 hours 39 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 3.5°, CCE 1 (AMPTE) passes over latitudes between 3.5°N and 3.5°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total.