P 76-5

P 76-5 is an active satellite operated by USAF STP / APL (United States), launched on 1976-05-22 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the NNS O-15 launch. After more than 50 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 974 km and 1,037 km with an inclination of 99.9°. It travels at approximately 26,463 km/h (7.35 km/s), completing one full orbit every 105 minutes — that’s roughly 13.68 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks P 76-5 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

P 76-5 orbits at an average altitude of 1,006 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 P 76-5’s average altitude, there are currently 282 active payloads and 1,044 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 99.9°, P 76-5 passes over latitudes between 99.9°N and 99.9°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 13,279 active satellites in total, of which 55 share a similar altitude band with P 76-5.