USA 271

MilitaryGEOEquatorialGraveyardUnited States

USA 271 is a military satellite, as listed in Jonathan McDowell's GCAT catalogue, with ownership listed as United States in CelesTrak's catalogue, currently in a geostationary orbit about 36,122 km above the equator. It completes one orbit of Earth roughly every 1454 minutes at an inclination of 4.5°. It was launched in 2016. Track its live position and see when it passes over your location on azmth.

Orbital data

NORAD ID: 41745
COSPAR ID: 2016-052B
Type: Military
Orbit: GEO
Perigee (lowest): 36,122 km
Apogee (highest): 36,152 km
Inclination: 4.47°
Orbital period: 1454 min
Launch year: 2016
Owner (CelesTrak): United States

Orbital data updated: 2026-10-12 · from CelesTrak, refreshed every 2 hours.

Who operates it

United StatesLIVEActive

Space surveillanceRendezvous

Independent assessment

GCAT classes it as a military satellite for missile warning and records it as active (17 Oct 2026).

Data: GCAT · CC BY 4.0 Class, mission and status adapted from GCAT by Jonathan McDowell, CC BY 4.0, data update 17 Oct 2026.

Military satellites, counted and explained →

About GEO orbit

Geostationary Orbit. Exactly 35,786 km above the equator. Satellites here orbit at the same rate Earth rotates, so they appear stationary in the sky. Used for TV, weather, and communications.