MIDAS 3

MIDAS 3 is an active satellite operated by USAF SSD (United States), launched on 1961-07-12 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States. After more than 65 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 3,343 km and 3,545 km with an inclination of 91.1°. It travels at approximately 22,942 km/h (6.37 km/s), completing one full orbit every 2 hours 41 minutes — that’s roughly 8.92 orbits per day. Orbital Radar tracks MIDAS 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

MIDAS 3 orbits at an average altitude of 3,444 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of MIDAS 3’s average altitude, there are currently 1 active payload and 6 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 91.1°, MIDAS 3 passes over latitudes between 91.1°N and 91.1°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. United States operates approximately 13,279 active satellites in total.