OPS 9438 (DSCS 2-8)

OPS 9438 (DSCS 2-8) is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1977-05-12 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 49 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 37,051 km and 37,353 km with an inclination of 8.8°. It travels at approximately 10,888 km/h (3.02 km/s), completing one full orbit every 25.2 hours — that’s roughly 0.95 orbits per day. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks OPS 9438 (DSCS 2-8) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 9438 (DSCS 2-8) 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 8.8°, 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. Within ±50 km of OPS 9438 (DSCS 2-8)’s average altitude, there are currently 2 active payloads and 4 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,339 active satellites in total.