BB 1

BB 1 is an active satellite operated by Space Development Agency (United States), launched on 2023-04-02 from Vandenberg SFB, California. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 937 km and 959 km with an inclination of 81.0°. It travels at approximately 26,567 km/h (7.38 km/s), completing one full orbit every 104 minutes — that’s roughly 13.84 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks BB 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

BB 1 orbits at an average altitude of 948 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 BB 1’s average altitude, there are currently 308 active payloads and 1,107 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 81.0°, BB 1 passes over latitudes between 81.0°N and 81.0°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total, of which 93 share a similar altitude band with BB 1.