NAHUEL I2 (ANIK C2)

NAHUEL I2 (ANIK C2) is an active satellite operated by Argentina, launched on 1983-06-18 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 43 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,954 km and 36,271 km with an inclination of 12.9°. It travels at approximately 11,027 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.2 hours — that’s roughly 0.99 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 NAHUEL I2 (ANIK C2) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NAHUEL I2 (ANIK C2) 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 12.9°, 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 NAHUEL I2 (ANIK C2)’s average altitude, there are currently 181 active payloads and 8 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Argentina operates approximately 34 active satellites in total.