OPS 9343 (IDSCS 21)

OPS 9343 (IDSCS 21) is an active satellite operated by SAMSO (United States), launched on 1968-06-13 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the IDCSP 20 launch. After more than 58 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 33,729 km and 33,892 km with an inclination of 7.5°. It travels at approximately 11,339 km/h (3.15 km/s), completing one full orbit every 22 hours 16 minutes — that’s roughly 1.08 orbits per day. Orbital Radar tracks OPS 9343 (IDSCS 21) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 9343 (IDSCS 21) occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 7.5°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of OPS 9343 (IDSCS 21)’s average altitude, there are currently 10 active payloads and 2 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 13,276 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with OPS 9343 (IDSCS 21).