ABS 1A (KOREASAT 2)

ABS 1A (KOREASAT 2) is an active satellite operated by KTEL (South Korea), launched on 1996-01-14 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the Koreasat 2 launch. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,906 km and 35,938 km with an inclination of 12.8°. It travels at approximately 11,052 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 ABS 1A (KOREASAT 2) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

ABS 1A (KOREASAT 2) 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 12.8°, 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 ABS 1A (KOREASAT 2)’s average altitude, there are currently 75 active payloads and 17 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. South Korea operates approximately 65 active satellites in total, of which 3 share a similar altitude band with ABS 1A (KOREASAT 2).