INTELSAT 511

INTELSAT 511 is an active satellite operated by Intelsat (ITSO), launched on 1985-06-30 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 41 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,775 km and 35,892 km with an inclination of 13.2°. It travels at approximately 11,063 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 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 511 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 511 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 13.2°, 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 511’s average altitude, there are currently 673 active payloads and 55 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 31 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 511.