FENGYUN 2A

FENGYUN 2A is an active satellite operated by China Meteorological Administration (China), launched on 1997-06-10 from Xichang, China. With over 29 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at altitudes between 36,562 km and 37,464 km with an inclination of 15.7°. It travels at approximately 10,912 km/h (3.03 km/s), completing one full orbit every 25.0 hours — that’s roughly 0.96 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 FENGYUN 2A in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

FENGYUN 2A 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 15.7°, 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 FENGYUN 2A’s average altitude, there are currently 6 active payloads and 2 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. China operates approximately 1,218 active satellites in total.