NOVA 1

NOVA 1 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1981-05-15 from Vandenberg SFB, California on the Nova 1 launch. With over 45 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 1,163 km and 1,182 km with an inclination of 89.8°. It travels at approximately 26,169 km/h (7.27 km/s), completing one full orbit every 109 minutes — that’s roughly 13.23 orbits per day. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks NOVA 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NOVA 1 orbits at an average altitude of 1,173 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 NOVA 1’s average altitude, there are currently 842 active payloads and 256 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0012, ONEWEB-0010, ONEWEB-0008. With an inclination of 89.8°, NOVA 1 passes over latitudes between 89.8°N and 89.8°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 12,413 active satellites in total, of which 9 share a similar altitude band with NOVA 1.