POLAR

POLAR is an active satellite operated by GSFC (United States), launched on 1996-02-24 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the Polar launch. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) at altitudes between 5,828 km and 52,397 km with an inclination of 80.0°. It travels at approximately 12,066 km/h (3.35 km/s), completing one full orbit every 18 hours 29 minutes — that’s roughly 1.30 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.6562 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks POLAR in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

POLAR follows a Highly Elliptical Orbit, sweeping between 5,828 km (perigee) and 52,397 km (apogee). It spends most of its 18 hours 29 minutes orbital period near apogee, effectively loitering over a region of interest before rapidly sweeping through perigee — a profile used for high-latitude communications (Molniya orbits), early-warning systems and magnetospheric science. With an inclination of 80.0°, POLAR passes over latitudes between 80.0°N and 80.0°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 13,204 active satellites in total.