RAX (USA 218)

RAX (USA 218) is an active satellite operated by UM / NSF (United States), launched on 2010-11-20 from Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska, United States on the STP-SIV launch. After 16 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 556 km and 572 km with an inclination of 72.0°. It travels at approximately 27,293 km/h (7.58 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 15.01 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks RAX (USA 218) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

RAX (USA 218) orbits at an average altitude of 564 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of RAX (USA 218)’s average altitude, there are currently 1,090 active payloads and 502 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 5.8% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 72.0°, RAX (USA 218) passes over latitudes between 72.0°N and 72.0°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 13,340 active satellites in total, of which 517 share a similar altitude band with RAX (USA 218).