USA 16

USA 16 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1986-02-09 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 40 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 407 km and 1,577 km with an inclination of 63.3°. It travels at approximately 26,488 km/h (7.36 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.72 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks USA 16 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

USA 16 orbits at an average altitude of 992 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 USA 16’s average altitude, there are currently 270 active payloads and 897 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 63.3°, USA 16 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 82 share a similar altitude band with USA 16.