NOAA 19

NOAA 19 is an active satellite operated by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (part of international program) (United States), launched on 2009-02-06 from Vandenberg SFB, California. After 17 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 837 km and 858 km with an inclination of 99.0°. It travels at approximately 26,751 km/h (7.43 km/s), completing one full orbit every 102 minutes — that’s roughly 14.13 orbits per day. Its near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit means it passes over any given point on Earth at approximately the same local solar time, ideal for consistent Earth observation lighting conditions. It is part of the Weather constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks NOAA 19 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NOAA 19 orbits at an average altitude of 848 km in a sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), a specialised subset of LEO where the orbital plane precesses to maintain a constant angle relative to the Sun. This provides consistent lighting conditions on every pass — essential for Earth observation, weather monitoring and environmental science. Within ±50 km of NOAA 19’s average altitude, there are currently 274 active payloads and 2,062 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0179, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 99.0°, NOAA 19 passes over latitudes between 99.0°N and 99.0°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 45 share a similar altitude band with NOAA 19.