HBTSS-SV1

HBTSS-SV1 is an active satellite operated by MDA (United States), launched on 2024-02-14 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the HBTSS/SDA-0C launch. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 549 km and 562 km with an inclination of 40.0°. It travels at approximately 27,310 km/h (7.59 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 15.04 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks HBTSS-SV1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

HBTSS-SV1 orbits at an average altitude of 556 km in the core of Low Earth Orbit, the most heavily utilised altitude band. The balance of moderate drag (limiting debris accumulation) and short signal path (enabling low-latency links and high-resolution imaging) makes this regime the default for most commercial and government missions. Within ±50 km of HBTSS-SV1’s average altitude, there are currently 1,596 active payloads and 428 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1184, STARLINK-1276, ONEWEB-0050. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 8.5% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 40.0°, HBTSS-SV1 passes over latitudes between 40.0°N and 40.0°S, covering the tropical and temperate zones where most of the world’s population resides. Low-to-mid inclination orbits are efficient to reach from equatorial and mid-latitude launch sites. United States operates approximately 13,204 active satellites in total, of which 973 share a similar altitude band with HBTSS-SV1.