FORTE

FORTE is an active satellite operated by Los Alamos National Laboratory (United States), launched on 1997-08-29 from WRAS. With over 29 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 781 km and 816 km with an inclination of 70.0°. It travels at approximately 26,843 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.28 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks FORTE in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

FORTE orbits at an average altitude of 799 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 FORTE’s average altitude, there are currently 434 active payloads and 2,269 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 70.0°, FORTE 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. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 157 share a similar altitude band with FORTE.