USA 57

USA 57 is an active satellite operated by USAF SSD (United States), launched on 1990-04-11 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the POGS launch. With over 36 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 605 km and 695 km with an inclination of 89.8°. It travels at approximately 27,125 km/h (7.53 km/s), completing one full orbit every 98 minutes — that’s roughly 14.73 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks USA 57 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

USA 57 orbits at an average altitude of 650 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of USA 57’s average altitude, there are currently 877 active payloads and 1,125 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include TERRA, AQUA, ONEWEB-0179. With an inclination of 89.8°, USA 57 passes over latitudes between 89.8°N and 89.8°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 13,342 active satellites in total, of which 481 share a similar altitude band with USA 57.