USA 16

USA 16 is an active satellite operated by NRO / NRL (United States), launched on 1986-02-09 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the PARCAE 8 launch. With over 40 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 412 km and 1,566 km with an inclination of 63.3°. It travels at approximately 26,493 km/h (7.36 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.73 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 989 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 411 active payloads and 1,121 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 13,340 active satellites in total, of which 143 share a similar altitude band with USA 16.