OPS 1509 (TRANSIT 10)

OPS 1509 (TRANSIT 10) is an active satellite operated by USN BuWeps (United States), launched on 1965-12-22 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the NNS O-6 launch. After more than 61 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 887 km and 1,047 km with an inclination of 89.1°. It travels at approximately 26,533 km/h (7.37 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.79 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks OPS 1509 (TRANSIT 10) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 1509 (TRANSIT 10) orbits at an average altitude of 967 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 1509 (TRANSIT 10)’s average altitude, there are currently 429 active payloads and 1,226 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 89.1°, OPS 1509 (TRANSIT 10) passes over latitudes between 89.1°N and 89.1°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, of which 153 share a similar altitude band with OPS 1509 (TRANSIT 10).