USA 3

USA 3 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1984-06-25 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 42 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 520 km and 529 km with an inclination of 95.9°. It travels at approximately 27,371 km/h (7.60 km/s), completing one full orbit every 95 minutes — that’s roughly 15.14 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~3–10 years. Orbital Radar tracks USA 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

USA 3 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.