CLASSIFIED
USA 119
Classified Intelligence (Assessed: Trumpet-class SIGINT) · NRO / US Air Force
Right now
LiveIt moves every second. See exactly where it is — worked out from its orbit, on your own device — on the live 3D globe.
- Over
- —
- Altitude
- —
- Speed
- —
A classified US satellite launched in 1996 on a Titan IV rocket into a highly elliptical, 63.4°-inclined 'Molniya-type' orbit — a specific geometry chosen because it cancels out the natural drift (apsidal precession) that would otherwise distort an elliptical orbit over time. This orbital signature is the hallmark of the Trumpet-class SIGINT satellites, believed to intercept Russian and other foreign military communications by dwelling for hours near apogee over high northern latitudes that geostationary satellites can't effectively cover. The US government has never officially disclosed USA 119's mission.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 281–1,075 mi (452–1,730 km)
- Inclination
- 63.3°
- One orbit
- 106.9 minutes13.5 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 23893
- Int’l designator
- 1996-029A
- Launched
- 1996
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
More classified
- USA 285Military Technology Demonstrator
- USA 286Military Technology Demonstrator
- USA 485Classified Intelligence (NRO Proliferated LEO Constellation)
- USA 486Classified Intelligence (NRO Proliferated LEO Constellation)
- WSF-MUS Military Weather & Space Environment Satellite
- YAOGAN-10Earth Observation (Dual-Use)