GORIZONT 16

GORIZONT 16 is an active satellite operated by Russia (CIS), launched on 1988-08-18 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. With over 38 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,820 km and 35,925 km with an inclination of 11.5°. It travels at approximately 11,058 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 GORIZONT 16 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GORIZONT 16 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 11.5°, 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 GORIZONT 16’s average altitude, there are currently 57 active payloads and 34 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,285 active satellites in total, of which 11 share a similar altitude band with GORIZONT 16.