WESTFORD NEEDLES

About This Satellite

WESTFORD NEEDLES is listed as a separated component under NORAD ID 3255 with international designator 1963-014BV. According to the GCAT master catalog, it was with a catalog mass of 0 kg. It is associated with United States of America. In the historical build snapshot (TLE epoch 2026-09-05), its MEO orbit had an apogee of about 3,815 km and a perigee near 3,450 km, with an inclination of 87.36° and a period of roughly 166.1 minutes; at apogee its speed was about 6.20 km/s. It was launched on 1963-05-09. The build snapshot uses a TLE with epoch 2026-09-05. A moving map, when available, is a prediction rather than a direct measurement.

What this identity tells us

The separated component classification comes from GCAT record S03255. A catalog identifier follows a tracked physical object, not necessarily an active service. Manufacturer and owner entries describe catalog associations; ownership is not interchangeable with present-day operation. A separately sourced mission history has not yet been verified for this record.

Historical orbit, not a current location

GCAT records reentry for this object (phase R; phase-end date 1976 Oct 30). Any element set retained here is historical. A position propagated beyond reentry would describe a mathematical extrapolation, not a spacecraft still orbiting Earth. Question marks in the source date indicate uncertainty.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-05. Estimated altitude ranges from 3,450 km at perigee to 3,815 km at apogee, a difference of 365 km. The orbital period is about 166.1 minutes. Eccentricity 0.01823 shows why a single altitude cannot describe the whole path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.04 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.

Historical data: GCAT records reentry. This snapshot is not a current location.

Ground track is not sensor coverage

An inclination of 87.36 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 87.4 degrees north and south. This is a prograde orbit, moving in the same general direction as Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.

Accuracy and missing information

The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.

Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 3255 · GCAT: S03255 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.

Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)

Satellite Details