GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23)

GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23) is an active satellite operated by DoD/US Air Force (United States), launched on 2020-06-30 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 20,013 km and 20,352 km with an inclination of 56.7°. It travels at approximately 13,948 km/h (3.87 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 58 minutes — that’s roughly 2.01 orbits per day. It is part of the Gps Ops constellation group. Orbital Radar tracks GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23) orbits at an average altitude of 20,183 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23)’s average altitude, there are currently 102 active payloads and 13 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include GPS BIIR-5 (PRN 22), GPS BIIR-8 (PRN 16), GPS BIIR-11 (PRN 19). With an inclination of 56.7°, GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23) passes over latitudes between 56.7°N and 56.7°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 43 share a similar altitude band with GPS BIII-3 (PRN 23).