USA 253

USA 253 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2014-07-28 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. After 12 years in orbit, it continues to be tracked by global surveillance networks. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,789 km and 36,804 km with an inclination of 5.2°. It travels at approximately 10,939 km/h (3.04 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.8 hours — that’s roughly 0.97 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks USA 253 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

USA 253 occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 5.2°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. Within ±50 km of USA 253’s average altitude, there are currently 5 active payloads and 0 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 2 share a similar altitude band with USA 253.