EQUATOR S

EQUATOR S is an active satellite operated by Germany, launched on 1997-12-02 from Guiana Space Centre, Kourou. With over 29 years in orbit, it has far exceeded many satellites’ design lifetimes. It orbits in Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) at altitudes between 547 km and 67,063 km with an inclination of 4.1°. It travels at approximately 11,339 km/h (3.15 km/s), completing one full orbit every 22 hours 16 minutes — that’s roughly 1.08 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.8278 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. Orbital Radar tracks EQUATOR S in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

EQUATOR S follows a Highly Elliptical Orbit, sweeping between 547 km (perigee) and 67,063 km (apogee). It spends most of its 22 hours 16 minutes orbital period near apogee, effectively loitering over a region of interest before rapidly sweeping through perigee — a profile used for high-latitude communications (Molniya orbits), early-warning systems and magnetospheric science. With an inclination of 4.1°, EQUATOR S passes over latitudes between 4.1°N and 4.1°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. Germany operates approximately 80 active satellites in total.