NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132)
NORAD 24876
Payload
MEO
1997-035A
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🛰️ Orbital Parameters
Perigee
19921 km
Apogee
20443 km
Inclination
55.9°
Period
718.0 min
Mean Motion
2.00563953 rev/day
TLE Epoch
2026-03-17 11:00:00 UTC
📐 Computed Orbital Characteristics
Avg. Altitude20,182 km
Orbital Velocity13,948 km/h
Velocity3.87 km/s
Orbital Period11 hours 58 minutes
Orbits / Day2.01
Eccentricity0.0098
Semi-Major Axis26,553 km
Est. Orbital LifetimeEffectively permanent — above atmospheric drag
🚀 Launch & Identity
Country / Operator
🇺🇸 United States
Launch Date
1997-07-23
Launch Site
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Int'l Designator
1997-035A
Object Type
Payload
RCS Size
Large (>1 m²)
🔗 Constellation / Groups
gps ops
📖 About This Object
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1997-07-23 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 29 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 19,921 km and 20,443 km with an inclination of 55.9°. It travels at approximately 13,948 km/h (3.87 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 58 minutes — that’s roughly 2.01 orbits per day. It is part of the Gps Ops constellation group. Orbital Radar tracks NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.
🌍 Orbit Context
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) operates in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), the region between LEO and GEO spanning roughly 2,000 to 35,786 km altitude. MEO is home to navigation constellations (GPS at ~20,200 km, Galileo at ~23,222 km, GLONASS at ~19,130 km) and some communications systems. The higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer satellites are needed for global coverage, but signal latency is higher and radiation exposure — particularly from the Van Allen belts — is a significant design challenge.
🔗 GPS Navigation Constellation
This satellite is part of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), operated by the U.S. Space Force. GPS provides positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services to billions of users worldwide. The constellation maintains at least 24 operational satellites across six orbital planes at approximately 20,200 km altitude (MEO), with an orbital period of about 11 hours 58 minutes. Current-generation satellites include GPS III and GPS IIIF, which offer improved accuracy, anti-jamming capabilities and the new L5 civil signal.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 19,921 km (perigee) and 20,443 km (apogee), with an average altitude of approximately 20,182 km. It completes one orbit every 11 hours 58 minutes, travelling at approximately 13,948 km/h (8,667 mph).
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) is operated by United States. It is catalogued by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network under NORAD ID 24876. You can track NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) in real time on Orbital Radar’s live tracker.
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) was launched on 1997-07-23 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, one of the busiest launch facilities in the world, operated by NASA and the U.S. Space Force on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Yes — Orbital Radar tracks NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) (NORAD ID 24876) using the latest TLE (two-line element set) data from Space-Track and CelesTrak. Open the live tracker to see its current position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated in real time.
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) travels at approximately 13,948 km/h (8,667 mph) — roughly 3.87 km/s. It completes 2.01 orbits per day, meaning the crew or instruments aboard (if any) would experience approximately 4 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.
NAVSTAR 43 (USA 132) is a member of the Gps Ops constellation. Satellites in this group work together to provide coordinated coverage, typically in similar orbital planes at comparable altitudes. You can view all Gps Ops satellites on Orbital Radar’s live tracker.