MOLNIYA 3-8

MOLNIYA 3-8 is an active satellite operated by NPO PM / MSvyaz (Russia (CIS)), launched on 1977-10-28 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia on the Molniya-3 No. 18 launch. With over 49 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 2,392 km and 37,939 km with an inclination of 63.8°. It travels at approximately 13,952 km/h (3.88 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 57 minutes — that’s roughly 2.01 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.6698 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks MOLNIYA 3-8 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

MOLNIYA 3-8 orbits at an average altitude of 20,166 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of MOLNIYA 3-8’s average altitude, there are currently 105 active payloads and 10 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 63.8°, MOLNIYA 3-8 passes over latitudes between 63.8°N and 63.8°S, covering most populated land masses in both hemispheres. This mid-inclination band balances global coverage with efficient launch energy requirements. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,548 active satellites in total, of which 56 share a similar altitude band with MOLNIYA 3-8.