TDRS 5

TDRS 5 is an active satellite operated by SES S.A. (United States), launched on 1991-08-02 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 35 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,759 km and 35,812 km with an inclination of 14.1°. It travels at approximately 11,070 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 TDRS 5 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TDRS 5 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 14.1°, 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 TDRS 5’s average altitude, there are currently 713 active payloads and 58 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. United States operates approximately 12,360 active satellites in total, of which 146 share a similar altitude band with TDRS 5.