SMDC ONE 1.2

SMDC ONE 1.2 is an active satellite operated by US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (United States), launched on 2012-09-13 from Vandenberg SFB, California. After 14 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 439 km and 567 km with an inclination of 64.7°. It travels at approximately 27,414 km/h (7.61 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.21 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks SMDC ONE 1.2 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SMDC ONE 1.2 orbits at an average altitude of 503 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 SMDC ONE 1.2’s average altitude, there are currently 9,586 active payloads and 247 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1017, STARLINK-1039, STARLINK-1047. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 55.1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 64.7°, SMDC ONE 1.2 passes over latitudes between 64.7°N and 64.7°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 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 8,962 share a similar altitude band with SMDC ONE 1.2.