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 Space Force Station, United States on the OV-102 IUS deploy launch. With over 27 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) at altitudes between 12,261 km and 136,573 km with an inclination of 57.4°. It travels at approximately 7,996 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 0.7694 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 12,261 km (perigee) and 136,573 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 57.4°, CXO passes over latitudes between 57.4°N and 57.4°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.