SOICAL (CONE)

SOICAL (CONE) is an active satellite operated by NRL (United States), launched on 1969-09-30 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the P-11 No. 4407 launch. After more than 57 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 776 km and 793 km with an inclination of 70.0°. It travels at approximately 26,869 km/h (7.46 km/s), completing one full orbit every 101 minutes — that’s roughly 14.32 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks SOICAL (CONE) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SOICAL (CONE) orbits at an average altitude of 785 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 SOICAL (CONE)’s average altitude, there are currently 438 active payloads and 2,450 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include NOAA 20, ONEWEB-0455. With an inclination of 70.0°, SOICAL (CONE) passes over latitudes between 70.0°N and 70.0°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 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 185 share a similar altitude band with SOICAL (CONE).