DFH-3 1

DFH-3 1 is an active satellite operated by China, launched on 1994-11-29 from Xichang, China. With over 32 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,188 km and 35,999 km with an inclination of 13.7°. It travels at approximately 11,095 km/h (3.08 km/s), completing one full orbit every 23 hours 46 minutes — that’s roughly 1.01 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 DFH-3 1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

DFH-3 1 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 13.7°, 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 DFH-3 1’s average altitude, there are currently 4 active payloads and 31 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total.