SURCAL 159

SURCAL 159 is an active satellite operated by NRL (United States), launched on 1967-05-31 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the NRL PL160 launch. After more than 59 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 888 km and 902 km with an inclination of 70.0°. It travels at approximately 26,664 km/h (7.41 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 14.00 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks SURCAL 159 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SURCAL 159 orbits at an average altitude of 895 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of SURCAL 159’s average altitude, there are currently 292 active payloads and 1,742 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 70.0°, SURCAL 159 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 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 112 share a similar altitude band with SURCAL 159.