EXPLORER 16

EXPLORER 16 is an active satellite operated by NASA LaRC (United States), launched on 1962-12-16 from Wallops Flight Facility / MARS, 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 742 km and 1,145 km with an inclination of 52.0°. It travels at approximately 26,575 km/h (7.38 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.86 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks EXPLORER 16 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EXPLORER 16 orbits at an average altitude of 944 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 EXPLORER 16’s average altitude, there are currently 487 active payloads and 1,345 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 52.0°, EXPLORER 16 passes over latitudes between 52.0°N and 52.0°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 13,276 active satellites in total, of which 173 share a similar altitude band with EXPLORER 16.