NOVA 3

NOVA 3 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1984-10-12 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 1,148 km and 1,198 km with an inclination of 90.1°. It travels at approximately 26,168 km/h (7.27 km/s), completing one full orbit every 109 minutes — that’s roughly 13.23 orbits per day. It is part of the Nnss constellation group. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~500–1,000 years. Orbital Radar tracks NOVA 3 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NOVA 3 orbits in the upper reaches of Low Earth Orbit, above 1,000 km. At this altitude, atmospheric drag is negligible and objects can remain in orbit for thousands of years without active deorbiting. This region is used by satellite broadband constellations like OneWeb and by scientific missions that need stable, long-duration orbits away from the densest debris bands. The high inclination typical at this altitude provides near-global coverage.