INTELSAT 2-F1

INTELSAT 2-F1 is an active satellite operated by INTELSAT (ITSO), launched on 1966-10-26 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, United States on the INTELSAT II F-1 launch. After more than 60 years in orbit, it is one of the longest-surviving objects in the space catalogue. It orbits in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at altitudes between 3,217 km and 37,191 km with an inclination of 18.4°. It travels at approximately 13,942 km/h (3.87 km/s), completing one full orbit every 11 hours 59 minutes — that’s roughly 2.00 orbits per day. Its orbital eccentricity of 0.6392 gives it a noticeably elliptical path, with significant altitude variation between perigee and apogee. It is part of the Intelsat constellation group. Orbital Radar tracks INTELSAT 2-F1 in real time using the latest two-line element set (TLE) data, providing live position, altitude, speed and orbital path updated continuously.

INTELSAT 2-F1 orbits at an average altitude of 20,204 km in Medium Earth Orbit, the region between LEO and GEO (2,000–35,786 km). MEO’s higher altitude gives each satellite a much larger ground footprint than LEO, meaning fewer spacecraft are needed for global coverage — but signal latency is higher and radiation from the Van Allen belts is a significant design constraint. Within ±50 km of INTELSAT 2-F1’s average altitude, there are currently 106 active payloads and 16 tracked debris or rocket body fragments. With an inclination of 18.4°, INTELSAT 2-F1 passes over latitudes between 18.4°N and 18.4°S, concentrating coverage over equatorial and near-equatorial regions. Low-inclination orbits maximise revisit rates over specific tropical zones. ITSO operates approximately 91 active satellites in total.