OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5)

OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5) is an active satellite operated by USN BuWeps (United States), launched on 1964-12-13 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, United States on the APL SN-43 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 1,017 km and 1,076 km with an inclination of 90.1°. It travels at approximately 26,390 km/h (7.33 km/s), completing one full orbit every 106 minutes — that’s roughly 13.57 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5) orbits at an average altitude of 1,047 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 OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5)’s average altitude, there are currently 305 active payloads and 655 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0041. With an inclination of 90.1°, OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5) passes over latitudes between 90.1°N and 90.1°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 43 share a similar altitude band with OPS 6582 (TRANSIT 5B-5).