FTV 3502

FTV 3502 is an active satellite operated by SAFSP (United States), launched on 1962-08-23 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States. After more than 64 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 534 km and 645 km with an inclination of 98.5°. It travels at approximately 27,243 km/h (7.57 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 14.93 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. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks FTV 3502 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

FTV 3502 orbits at an average altitude of 590 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 FTV 3502’s average altitude, there are currently 1,536 active payloads and 653 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050, STARLINK-3005, STARLINK-3090. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 8.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 98.5°, FTV 3502 passes over latitudes between 98.5°N and 98.5°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 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 930 share a similar altitude band with FTV 3502.