EKRAN 14

EKRAN 14 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1985-03-22 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 41 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 37,310 km and 37,479 km with an inclination of 11.9°. It travels at approximately 10,864 km/h (3.02 km/s), completing one full orbit every 25.3 hours — that’s roughly 0.95 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 EKRAN 14 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EKRAN 14 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 11.9°, 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 EKRAN 14’s average altitude, there are currently 2 active payloads and 1 tracked debris or rocket body fragment. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,285 active satellites in total.