STARLINK-5160

STARLINK-5160 is an active satellite operated by SpaceX (United States), launched on 2022-10-20 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 173 km and 178 km with an inclination of 53.2°. It travels at approximately 28,091 km/h (7.80 km/s), completing one full orbit every 88 minutes — that’s roughly 16.48 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. It is part of the Starlink constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is days to weeks — very low orbit, rapid decay. Orbital Radar tracks STARLINK-5160 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

STARLINK-5160 orbits at an average altitude of 176 km in the lower reaches of Low Earth Orbit, where atmospheric drag is significant and orbital lifetimes are measured in months to a few years. This is the busiest corridor in space — home to crewed spacecraft, rapid-revisit imaging satellites and the densest part of the Starlink constellation. Within ±50 km of STARLINK-5160’s average altitude, there are currently 9 active payloads and 1 tracked debris or rocket body fragment — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1677, STARLINK-1958, STARLINK-3151. This is a relatively sparse altitude band, containing less than 1% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 53.2°, STARLINK-5160 passes over latitudes between 53.2°N and 53.2°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 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with STARLINK-5160.