INTELSAT 701

INTELSAT 701 is an active satellite operated by Intelsat (ITSO), launched on 1993-10-22 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,043 km and 36,068 km with an inclination of 10.8°. It travels at approximately 11,035 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 0.99 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 701 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 701 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 10.8°, 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 701’s average altitude, there are currently 105 active payloads and 23 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 11 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 701.