TRAAC

TRAAC is an active satellite operated by USN BuWeps (United States), launched on 1961-11-15 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States. After more than 65 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 951 km and 1,102 km with an inclination of 32.4°. It travels at approximately 26,426 km/h (7.34 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.63 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks TRAAC in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TRAAC orbits at an average altitude of 1,027 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 TRAAC’s average altitude, there are currently 420 active payloads and 831 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 32.4°, TRAAC passes over latitudes between 32.4°N and 32.4°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. United States operates approximately 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 41 share a similar altitude band with TRAAC.