INTELSAT 502

INTELSAT 502 is an active satellite operated by Intelsat (ITSO), launched on 1980-12-06 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 46 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,138 km and 36,217 km with an inclination of 11.3°. 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. Orbital Radar tracks INTELSAT 502 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 502 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 11.3°, 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 502’s average altitude, there are currently 149 active payloads and 11 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 15 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 502.