OSCAR 16 (PACSAT)

OSCAR 16 (PACSAT) is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1990-01-22 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 36 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 772 km and 786 km with an inclination of 98.8°. It travels at approximately 26,879 km/h (7.47 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.34 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks OSCAR 16 (PACSAT) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OSCAR 16 (PACSAT) orbits at an average altitude of 779 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of OSCAR 16 (PACSAT)’s average altitude, there are currently 401 active payloads and 2,171 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 98.8°, OSCAR 16 (PACSAT) passes over latitudes between 98.8°N and 98.8°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 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 155 share a similar altitude band with OSCAR 16 (PACSAT).