OPS 8790

OPS 8790 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1978-04-07 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 48 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,673 km and 35,777 km with an inclination of 3.6°. It travels at approximately 11,078 km/h (3.08 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 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 8790 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

OPS 8790 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 3.6°, 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 8790’s average altitude, there are currently 39 active payloads and 35 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 13 share a similar altitude band with OPS 8790.