AST BLUEBIRD 9

AST BLUEBIRD 9 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 2026-06-17 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. As a relatively recent addition to the catalogue, its orbital elements are well-characterised. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 526 km and 531 km with an inclination of 53.0°. It travels at approximately 27,363 km/h (7.60 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.13 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 AST BLUEBIRD 9 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AST BLUEBIRD 9 orbits at an average altitude of 529 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 AST BLUEBIRD 9’s average altitude, there are currently 6,773 active payloads and 286 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include STARLINK-1184, STARLINK-1231, STARLINK-1276. This makes it one of the more crowded altitude bands, containing roughly 38.9% of all active satellites. With an inclination of 53.0°, AST BLUEBIRD 9 passes over latitudes between 53.0°N and 53.0°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 12,340 active satellites in total, of which 6,097 share a similar altitude band with AST BLUEBIRD 9.