GEOSAT

GEOSAT is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1985-03-13 from Vandenberg SFB, California. With over 41 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 758 km and 760 km with an inclination of 108.0°. It travels at approximately 26,917 km/h (7.48 km/s), completing one full orbit every 100 minutes — that’s roughly 14.40 orbits per day. Its near-circular orbit (eccentricity close to zero) means it maintains a very consistent altitude throughout each revolution. At its current altitude, the estimated orbital lifetime before atmospheric re-entry is ~25–100 years. Orbital Radar tracks GEOSAT in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GEOSAT orbits at an average altitude of 759 km in the mid-LEO band, where atmospheric drag is minimal but radiation exposure remains manageable. Objects at this altitude persist for decades to centuries, making debris mitigation critical. This regime is popular for remote sensing constellations and scientific instruments that need stable, long-duration orbits. Within ±50 km of GEOSAT’s average altitude, there are currently 357 active payloads and 2,015 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ONEWEB-0179. With an inclination of 108.0°, GEOSAT passes over latitudes between 108.0°N and 108.0°S, providing near-global coverage including the polar regions. Polar and near-polar orbits are used for reconnaissance, weather monitoring and Earth-observation missions that need to image every part of the planet. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 148 share a similar altitude band with GEOSAT.