NAHUEL 1A

NAHUEL 1A is an active satellite operated by Argentina, launched on 1997-01-30 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 29 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,014 km and 36,061 km with an inclination of 12.5°. It travels at approximately 11,037 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — 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 NAHUEL 1A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

NAHUEL 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 12.5°, 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 NAHUEL 1A’s average altitude, there are currently 81 active payloads and 27 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. Argentina operates approximately 34 active satellites in total.