OPS 6553

OPS 6553 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1982-05-11 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 44 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 540 km and 556 km with an inclination of 96.0°. It travels at approximately 27,324 km/h (7.59 km/s), completing one full orbit every 96 minutes — that’s roughly 15.06 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks OPS 6553 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 6553 orbits in the most densely populated region of Low Earth Orbit, between roughly 300 and 600 km altitude. This band is home to the International Space Station, most Earth observation satellites, and the bulk of the Starlink constellation. Objects here experience measurable atmospheric drag, which gradually lowers their orbit over months to years and eventually causes re-entry. The relatively short signal path makes this altitude ideal for low-latency communications and high-resolution imaging.