Science
STARLETTE
Geodetic Laser Ranging · CNES
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The world's oldest actively tracked geodetic satellite — a solid brass sphere 24 cm across launched in 1975 and still flying. Laser ranging stations fire pulses at its 60 retroreflectors and time the returning light to millimeter precision, measuring how Earth's gravitational field changes as ice sheets melt and water moves around the planet. Still delivering science after 50 years in orbit.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 505–692 mi (813–1,114 km)
- Inclination
- 49.8°
- One orbit
- 104.2 minutes13.8 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 07646
- Int’l designator
- 1975-010A
- Launched
- 1975
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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