AMC-1 (GE-1)

AMC-1 (GE-1) is an active satellite operated by SES, launched on 1996-09-08 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. With over 30 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 35,979 km and 36,029 km with an inclination of 9.1°. It travels at approximately 11,041 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 AMC-1 (GE-1) in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

AMC-1 (GE-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 9.1°, 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 AMC-1 (GE-1)’s average altitude, there are currently 60 active payloads and 30 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. SES operates approximately 77 active satellites in total, of which 3 share a similar altitude band with AMC-1 (GE-1).