TELECOM 2D

TELECOM 2D is an active satellite operated by France, launched on 1996-08-08 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,235 km and 36,377 km with an inclination of 13.1°. It travels at approximately 11,002 km/h (3.06 km/s), completing one full orbit every 24.4 hours — that’s roughly 0.98 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 TELECOM 2D in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

TELECOM 2D 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 13.1°, 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 TELECOM 2D’s average altitude, there are currently 50 active payloads and 9 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. France operates approximately 115 active satellites in total, of which 3 share a similar altitude band with TELECOM 2D.