INTELSAT 804

INTELSAT 804 is an active satellite operated by Intelsat (ITSO), launched on 1997-12-21 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 35,748 km and 35,827 km with an inclination of 13.2°. It travels at approximately 11,070 km/h (3.07 km/s), completing one full orbit every ~24 hours (geosynchronous) — that’s roughly 1.00 orbits per day. It is part of the Intelsat constellation group. At geostationary altitude, there is no meaningful atmospheric drag — this object will remain in orbit indefinitely unless actively deorbited. Orbital Radar tracks INTELSAT 804 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 804 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 13.2°, 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 INTELSAT 804’s average altitude, there are currently 714 active payloads and 60 tracked debris or rocket body fragments — notable neighbours include ASTRA 1N, GOES 16, TDRS 13. ITSO operates approximately 72 active satellites in total, of which 32 share a similar altitude band with INTELSAT 804.