ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B
NORAD 53962
Rocket Body
GEO
2022-123C
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GEO · NORAD 53962
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🛰️ Orbital Parameters
Perigee
32616 km
Apogee
35088 km
Inclination
4.4°
Period
1338.4 min
Mean Motion
1.07591024 rev/day
TLE Epoch
2026-06-25 16:00:00 UTC
📐 Computed Orbital Characteristics
Avg. Altitude33,852 km
Orbital Velocity11,333 km/h
Velocity3.15 km/s
Orbital Period22 hours 18 minutes
Orbits / Day1.08
Eccentricity0.0307
Semi-Major Axis40,223 km
Est. Orbital LifetimeEffectively permanent — above atmospheric drag
🚀 Launch & Identity
Country / Operator
🇺🇸 United States
Launch Date
2022-10-04
Launch Site
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Int'l Designator
2022-123C
Object Type
Rocket Body
RCS Size
Large (>1 m²)
📖 About This Object
ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B is a spent rocket body associated with United States, launched on 2022-10-04 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the SES-20/SES-21 launch. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 32,616 km and 35,088 km with an inclination of 4.4°. It travels at approximately 11,333 km/h (3.15 km/s), completing one full orbit every 22 hours 18 minutes — that’s roughly 1.08 orbits per day. Spent rocket bodies like ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B are among the largest pieces of uncontrolled space debris and are priority targets for collision avoidance manoeuvres and future active debris removal efforts.
🌍 Orbit Context
ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B occupies geostationary orbit at approximately 35,786 km above the equator, where its orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. From the ground, it appears to hover over a fixed point — ideal for broadcast television, weather monitoring and wideband communications. With an inclination of 4.4°, it traces a small figure-of-eight pattern relative to the equator rather than remaining perfectly stationary, which can indicate aging stationkeeping fuel or a deliberate inclined-orbit strategy. United States operates approximately 12,413 active satellites in total.
🔗 Spent Rocket Body
This is a spent rocket body — the upper stage of a launch vehicle that remains in orbit after delivering its payload. Rocket bodies are a significant contributor to the space debris population. Older stages often retained residual propellant that could later explode, creating debris fields. Modern guidelines require upper stages to either deorbit (controlled re-entry) or passivate (vent residual fuel) to reduce fragmentation risk. The FCC's 5-year deorbit rule and UN debris mitigation guidelines are increasingly enforced to address this growing problem.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B orbits at approximately 33,852 km altitude, where the orbital period matches the Earth’s 24-hour rotation. This means it stays above the same point on the equator at all times. Its actual speed is still 11,333 km/h — it just keeps pace with the ground below. With an inclination of 4.4°, it actually traces a small figure-of-eight pattern rather than remaining perfectly fixed. Learn more about geostationary orbits.
ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B (NORAD ID 53962) is a spent rocket body — the upper stage of a launch vehicle attributed to United States. It no longer serves a functional purpose but continues to orbit Earth as tracked debris. Spent upper stages are among the largest uncontrolled objects in orbit and are closely monitored for collision risk.
ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B was launched on 2022-10-04 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. View the full satellite launch log.
Yes — Orbital Radar tracks ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B (NORAD ID 53962) 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. You can also browse the satellite directory to find other tracked objects.
ATLAS 5 CENTAUR R/B travels at approximately 11,333 km/h (7,042 mph) — roughly 3.15 km/s. Despite this high speed, it appears stationary from the ground because it matches the Earth’s rotation. Geostationary satellites are actually slower than LEO satellites because orbital velocity decreases with altitude.