SOLRAD 7A

SOLRAD 7A is an active satellite operated by NRO / NRL (United States), launched on 1964-01-11 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the POPPY 3/HAYLOFT launch. After more than 62 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 896 km and 919 km with an inclination of 69.9°. It travels at approximately 26,641 km/h (7.40 km/s), completing one full orbit every 103 minutes — that’s roughly 13.96 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~100–500 years. Orbital Radar tracks SOLRAD 7A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SOLRAD 7A orbits at an average altitude of 908 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 SOLRAD 7A’s average altitude, there are currently 309 active payloads and 1,539 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 69.9°, SOLRAD 7A passes over latitudes between 69.9°N and 69.9°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 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 151 share a similar altitude band with SOLRAD 7A.