GORIZONT 29

GORIZONT 29 is an active satellite operated by Rimsat (Russia (CIS)), launched on 1993-11-18 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on the Gorizont No. 41L launch. With over 33 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,777 km and 35,865 km with an inclination of 13.9°. It travels at approximately 11,065 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 29 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

GORIZONT 29 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 13.9°, 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 29’s average altitude, there are currently 731 active payloads and 59 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. Russia (CIS) operates approximately 1,536 active satellites in total, of which 119 share a similar altitude band with GORIZONT 29.