INTELSAT 506

INTELSAT 506 is an active satellite operated by Intelsat (ITSO), launched on 1983-05-19 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on the INTELSAT V F6 launch. With over 43 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,941 km and 36,262 km with an inclination of 12.4°. It travels at approximately 11,029 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.2 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 506 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 506 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 12.4°, 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 506’s average altitude, there are currently 178 active payloads and 9 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 16 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 506.