ALEXIS

ALEXIS is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1993-04-25 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 738 km and 821 km with an inclination of 69.9°. It travels at approximately 26,878 km/h (7.47 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.34 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks ALEXIS in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ALEXIS orbits at an average altitude of 780 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 ALEXIS’s average altitude, there are currently 418 active payloads and 2,180 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 69.9°, ALEXIS passes over latitudes between 69.9°N and 69.9°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 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 154 share a similar altitude band with ALEXIS.