ORBCOMM FM 1

ORBCOMM FM 1 is an active satellite operated by ORBCOMM (ORBCOMM), launched on 1995-04-03 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 31 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 578 km and 581 km with an inclination of 70.0°. It travels at approximately 27,262 km/h (7.57 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.96 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. It is part of the Orbcomm constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks ORBCOMM FM 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ORBCOMM FM 1 orbits at an average altitude of 580 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of ORBCOMM FM 1’s average altitude, there are currently 3,250 active payloads and 539 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 18.6% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 70.0°, ORBCOMM FM 1 passes over latitudes between 70.0°N and 70.0°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. ORBCOMM operates approximately 58 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with ORBCOMM FM 1.