DANDE

DANDE is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2013-09-29 from Vandenberg SFB, California. After 13 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 307 km and 952 km with an inclination of 81.0°. It travels at approximately 27,165 km/h (7.55 km/s), completing one full orbit every 97 minutes — that’s roughly 14.80 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~10–25 years. Orbital Radar tracks DANDE in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

DANDE orbits at an average altitude of 630 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of DANDE’s average altitude, there are currently 787 active payloads and 838 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0050. With an inclination of 81.0°, DANDE passes over latitudes between 81.0°N and 81.0°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 337 share a similar altitude band with DANDE.