CXO

CXO is an active satellite operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (United States), launched on 1999-07-23 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 27 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) at altitudes between 11,167 km and 137,655 km with an inclination of 56.3°. It travels at approximately 7,997 km/h (2.22 km/s), completing one full orbit every 63.5 hours — that’s roughly 0.38 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.7829 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks CXO in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CXO follows a Highly Elliptical Orbit, sweeping between 11,167 km (perigee) and 137,655 km (apogee). It spends most of its 63.5 hours 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 56.3°, CXO passes over latitudes between 56.3°N and 56.3°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.