INTELSAT 706

INTELSAT 706 is an active satellite operated by Intelsat (ITSO), launched on 1995-05-17 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 31 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,119 km and 36,144 km with an inclination of 11.0°. It travels at approximately 11,025 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.2 hours — 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 706 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 706 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 11.0°, 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 706’s average altitude, there are currently 185 active payloads and 7 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 18 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 706.