INTELSAT 805 DEB

INTELSAT 805 DEB is a tracked piece of space debris attributed to ITSO, launched on 1998-06-18 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the INTELSAT 805 launch. With over 28 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,058 km and 36,290 km with an inclination of 8.1°. It travels at approximately 11,019 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.3 hours — that’s roughly 0.99 orbits per day. It is part of the Intelsat constellation group. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. As orbital debris, INTELSAT 805 DEB poses a potential collision risk to operational satellites in nearby orbits and is continuously monitored by the U.S. Space Surveillance Network and other tracking systems.

INTELSAT 805 DEB 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 8.1°, 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 INTELSAT 805 DEB’s average altitude, there are currently 150 active payloads and 13 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 15 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 805 DEB.