SATCOM K1

SATCOM K1 is an active satellite operated by United States, launched on 1986-01-12 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 40 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,980 km and 35,996 km with an inclination of 14.7°. It travels at approximately 11,043 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 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 SATCOM K1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

SATCOM K1 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 14.7°, 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 SATCOM K1’s average altitude, there are currently 56 active payloads and 28 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 15 share a similar altitude band with SATCOM K1.