CS 3A

CS 3A is an active satellite operated by Japan, launched on 1988-02-19 from TNSTA. With over 38 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,361 km and 36,432 km with an inclination of 15.2°. It travels at approximately 10,990 km/h (3.05 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.5 hours — that’s roughly 0.98 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 CS 3A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

CS 3A 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 15.2°, 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 CS 3A’s average altitude, there are currently 20 active payloads and 17 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Japan operates approximately 189 active satellites in total.