ANNA 1B

ANNA 1B is an active satellite operated by USN BuWeps (United States), launched on 1962-10-31 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States. After more than 64 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 1,074 km and 1,179 km with an inclination of 50.1°. It travels at approximately 26,249 km/h (7.29 km/s), completing one full orbit every 108 minutes — that’s roughly 13.35 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks ANNA 1B in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ANNA 1B orbits at an average altitude of 1,127 km in the upper LEO band, where atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can persist for centuries to millennia. This altitude is used by broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions requiring stable orbits far from the densest debris bands. Within ±50 km of ANNA 1B’s average altitude, there are currently 295 active payloads and 451 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041, ONEWEB-0250, ONEWEB-0685. With an inclination of 50.1°, ANNA 1B passes over latitudes between 50.1°N and 50.1°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 13,276 active satellites in total, of which 34 share a similar altitude band with ANNA 1B.