APSTAR 1A

APSTAR 1A is an active satellite operated by APT Satellite (China), launched on 1996-07-03 from Xichang, China. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,003 km and 36,182 km with an inclination of 12.7°. It travels at approximately 11,030 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.2 hours — that’s roughly 0.99 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 APSTAR 1A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

APSTAR 1A 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 12.7°, 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 APSTAR 1A’s average altitude, there are currently 160 active payloads and 10 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,219 active satellites in total, of which 11 share a similar altitude band with APSTAR 1A.